Mine to Take
by druidica
Summary: What we want isn't always what we need. Trying to find out and face that realization is an upward battle and in the end the battle is only with yourself. RinxSesshomaru
1. Chapter 1

_The moments between the "x's" are flashbacks._

_I hope you enjoy. Thank you for reading this and my double thanks for your reviews. Druidica_

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"Rin, go find yourself food." Sesshomaru idly glanced at the human girl building a fire. 

The girl quickly rose, but she was no longer the little mortal girl he had brought back to life with the Tenseiga ten years before. The young woman turned to Sesshomaru with a brilliant smile that never seemed to leave her face. Then with her voice still carrying the same lilting joy she had always used when addressing him, answered, "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru."

He watched her with veiled indifference as she ran quickly to the forest to search for food. The scent of wildflowers that always covered Rin hung in the air. _Silly human, to continue to follow a demon_, he thought. _She will die like all mortals soon enough and she will be forgotten by me the same day_. He expected the thought to bring more joy than it did, but strangely it left him hallow.

"Strange," he spoke just above a whisper.

"What's strange, Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru lowered his glance to Jaken and then walked past him with out a word. Unwrapping his fur from his shoulder, the demon placed it on the ground in front of the fire. Sitting within the arms of his pelt, he stared at the small flames of the fire. "Jaken, go watch over Rin."

"Surely the human can handle gathering food on her own-"

Sesshomaru's eyes glared at the imp from the corners silencing the demon.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru! Right away!"

Jaken quickly ran towards the forest where Rin was searching for food.

"And Jaken," the little green demon stopped and turn his head back expectantly, "bring more firewood."

Jaken's jaws opened in retort, but he quickly swallowed his comment and ran after Rin's trail.

Sesshomaru stared at the flames his thoughts materializing in their blue and orange depths. His fur smelt of wildflowers. _Rin has been moving her pallet closer at nights again_. It was not something he was unaware of, however it did not seem a great enough transgression to remedy the situation. A fleeting hint of warmth went up his neck. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and mentally squashed the stimulation. He was a great demon; great demons do not succumb to matters of the flesh. He breathed in deep and his eyes snapped open.

Blood. Rin's blood. _Jaken is worthless in his task_. Sesshomaru transported himself into the forest near Rin's presence. Sesshomaru glanced slowly in every direction but he could sense no demon aura or the pungent smells of other humans. He walked forward and spotted Rin kneeling low on the ground clutching her hand. He glanced at the mushrooms, her favorite, on the ground and watched Rin's blood drip onto them.

"Rin, what has happened?"

Rin jumped and hid her hand behind her back.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed slightly at the futility of Rin's action. _Foolish human_.

"Answer me, Rin."

"Forgive me, Lord Sesshomaru I-" In a blink Sesshomaru was kneeling before Rin and wrenched her hand from behind her back. Stunned, Rin opened her hand to let him see. A large thorn was embedded into the palm of her hand, her life's blood stark against her pale flesh. "I'm sorry."

"You were careless, Rin."

Rin's eyes widened in shock and lowered in shame, tears threatening to well up and spill. A sharp pain coursed up her arm and she tried to yank her hand out of Sesshomaru's but his grip was too strong. Rin looked up and saw the thorn in Sesshomaru's mouth clenched between his fangs. He spat it out and resumed his indifferent repose.

"You are lucky. These thorns are not mature enough to be poisonous. If they had been, you would be dead."

Rin met Sesshomaru's eyes. Her eyes clouded over and hefell into her gaze.Flashes of fires, dead bodies and demons reflected out from her eyes and then another image lodged deep in their depths rose forth.A faint intoxicating scent enveloped him as his chest constricted. _I do not wish to see such things_, his mind yelled out in fury.

"L-lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken piped.

Sesshomaru dropped Rin's hand and stood. Whatever he had witnessed in Rin's eyes slowly fading.

"Jaken, you failed me." Sesshomaru stated flatly.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I assure you I would never-"

"Silence! Gather herbs for Rin's wound and food for her."

"Rin, go back to the fire and await me there."

Rin nodded and ran back towards the camp. Lowering his eyes to Jaken the little green demon leapt up and scurried around to do Sesshomaru's bidding. The wind picked up between the trees and Sesshomaru lifted his head towards the breeze. He could still smell her blood and the warmth once again tingled at his neck.

"Strange." He stated blandly and he slowly walked back to camp. When he came into the clearing he saw Rin curled into his fur asleep. _These must have been the premature effects of the thorn's poison_, he thought. _She must have sought warmth and succumbed to sleep_. He started to turn away, when a slight quiver caught his eyes. _She's cold_.

"Jaken."

Jaken ran out from the woods with his hands filled with fruit and herbs. He saw Rin sleeping in Lord Sesshomaru's fur and dropped the food. "Stupid girl, leave Lord Sesshomaru's fur at once!"

"I told you to bring more firewood."

Jaken gasped and ran into back into the forest_; Lord Sesshomaru would let the human sleep in his fur? _

Sesshomaru walked over to where Rin lay and gazed down at her blandly. _She needs warmth_, he thought. Rin's shivering increased. _I should let her die_. Even as he thought the statement he lowered himself beside Rin and leaned against his fur. Rin seeking warmth in her sleep, saddled up close to Sesshomaru. He did not flinch but stared straight into the flames.

"Weak human," he muttered to no one. Her hands gripped tightly onto his arm and her legs touched his. Sesshomaru glanced down at Rin. _Why has she never feared me?_

"Lord Sesshomaru," she whispered in her sleep.

_She is dreaming_. _Why would she dream of me?_ He lifted his eyes to stare at the fire once more. He felt a nudge under his arm and found Rin had pushed herself under his appendage and rested her face on his chest while his arm draped over her back. His first instinct was to disengage her from him and walk away, but for some reason he did not move. Unconsciously, his hand slowly glided up and down her back. Her breathing settled into a calm rhythm. He felt his eyes drooping. Her steady breaths lulling him to sleep.

"Strange," He whispered again. Closing his eyes he sniffed the air.

"She's in heat again." Then he drifted off to sleep his arm still wrapped around the feverish girl.

* * *

"Rin! How dare you-" 

"Silence, Jaken." Sesshomaru lazily opened his eyes and glared at his servant. Jaken's mouth was agape in horror at the spectacle before him. "Patrol the area against male demons. Do not return for five days."

"But, Lord Sesshomaru!"

"Go." Jaken stared at his master then begrudgingly walked back into the forest.

Sesshomaru glanced down at the girl nuzzled into his side. Her body was still hot from fever, but she slept soundly. Jaken's outburst did not even rouse her slightly. He tried to disengage himself from her but she held on tightly her knee coming across his leg latching on. _Hmm, she won't let go_. Sesshomaru sniffed the air and was confident there were no demons near by. _It is of no matter then_. He relaxed against his fur. Rin's scent was potent now and highly intoxicating. Thankfully her cycle was irregular and only came every six months. It is difficult for male demons to resist the scent of a woman in heat, but he was stronger than most demons. Her knee gently rubbed his thigh when she adjusted positions and his breath caught in his throat.

Sesshomaru willed his hormones in check, affirming within himself that it was only her scent that was causing these physical sensations. _Soon it will all be over and my body will be immune to her again_. He shifted slightly and Rin snuggled in more tightly. "Sesshomaru…" she whispered in her sleep.

His eyes quickly looked down at her at the sound of his name, his informal name. _She's dreaming of me again. _A light breeze washed over them and he inhaled deeply. His mind started to become hazy; the rich aroma of her body's longing enveloped him. He could feel his blood heating through his veins. His arm gripped her tighter to him. _I must have her_, he thought vehemently. A low growl was issuing from his throat. He brushed Rin's hair to the side exposing her neck. _Other demons will try and take my prey away from me, this one is mine. _His eyes turned red as his demon blood consumed him. His stoic persona discarded in the wake of his demon self.

He could feel her pulse in her neck. He could hear the steady thumping of her heart. He rolled on top of Rin, holding himself up on his one arm. The spot on her neck called to him, his mouth opened and his fangs stood out ready to strike. Rin still lay there deep asleep with the fever.


	2. Chapter 2

_Portions between the "x's" are flashbacks._

_I hope you enjoy. Thank you for taking the time to read this and double thanks for your reviews- Druidica

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_

"Mine," he growled then swooped down and sank his fangsinto the nape of her neck. The taste of her blood was nectar running over his tongue. He drank deeply then licked the wound sealing the blood flow. The taste was not enough; he must have all of her.

"L-lord Sesshomaru?"

He shot up and stared into the eyes of the innocent girl who trusted him so completely. Sesshomaru fought within himself and pushed back his demon blood. His eyes became golden again and he casually sat upright against his fur like nothing had transpired. Inside his heart was beating wildly and his jaw was tight with suppressed rage.

Rin slowly sat up and looked around confused. She remembered stumbling back into camp seeing Lord Sesshomaru's fur and falling into. _I must have fallen asleep on his fur_! No wonder he was angry with her. She sat on her knees and brought her hands together in a plea.

"I'm so sorry I fell asleep on your fur, my Lord! Forgive me!"

Sesshomaru glanced at the girl. She thought he was mad over such a simple thing. _She does not understand what has happened_. His gaze fell to the mark on her neck which was now healed and only a small scar remained. He took a breath and Rin's scent was now mingled with his, he had marked her. There was no taking it back. He glanced away staring into the early morning light.

"Please don't send me away, Lord Sesshomaru!"

_As if I could now. _

"Don't be foolish, Rin."

He stood up draping his fur back over his shoulder. He sniffed the air and located the scent of fresh water in the woods. Casually he strode towards the scent. After he was ten yards away he paused.

"Come with me, Rin."

Rin leapt up and ran after him as he continued walking deeper into the woods. Her scent was still very strong and punished his senses. Every whiff was a struggle against his suppressed nature. His mind was buzzing with questions that had no answers. He had been near her numerous times when her cycle hit and he had never lost control as he did this night. _Could it have been the poison mixed in her blood? _His teeth clenched tighter as he rationalized that his questions were moot. The mark once given cannot be removed. In one moment, he had become everything he loathed. He was as weak as his father.

Sesshomaru noticed how Rin kept trying to sneak glances at him, sensing his obvious displeasure. Despite her age she was still an innocent, unfamiliar with her woman's body and ignorant of the ways of male demons. Already the urge to complete his claim of her was coursing through his veins, but she had no idea as to what had transpired. The woman-child was still worried that he was angry over his fur. Even when his demon self was on the verge of devouring her innocence she still held no fear of him. She knew what he did not, that he would never harm her. _Pitiful_, he thought to himself_. If only she knew the truth_.

When they reached the clearing Sesshomaru stopped so suddenly that Rin ran into him.

"Forgive me, Lord-"

"Silence, Rin." He sniffed the air and convinced that the area was free from imminent danger he stood to the side and looked down at the woman, human woman who was now his. Her head barely came up to his shoulders and when she looked up at him, she smiled with the same brilliance as the previous day. Her spirit was still unfaltering. _I will not tell her_, he stated firmly in his mind_. If her innocence is to be lost it will not be by my hands_. His demon blood howled inside him in frustration, but to Rin it looked like her Lord had fallen asleep with his eyes open staring at her.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

He blinked and turned away from her.

"You will bathe here."

Rin glanced at him in confusion. Sesshomaru walked up to a large tree and jumped into the branches, lounging on a limb he looked out into the forest seeming to ignore her presence.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru."

Rin unceremoniously started removing her simple kimono, but stopped short when she saw a spot on the fabric. She brought it close to her face, in a panic she glanced at her thighs. When she realized it was blood she gasped in embarrassment shed her clothes and jumped in the water. She sunk into the water almost up to her nose her cheeks blushed red.

Her scent was momentarily concealed in the water and Lord of the Western Lands allowed his insides to relax. It was not his intention to embarrass her as he known he had when he heard her gasp. Unlike his brother, Sesshomaru knew his limits (as he despised his limits) and therefore sought out the only way to temporarily evade her intoxicating aroma and tame the demon now clawing to be released. He did not know why he glanced at her from above as she silently tried to scrub her body raw with a water stone. His eyes zoned in to the way each drop of water slid down her pale flesh. He could hear the scraping of the stone against her skin, her fast heartbeat as she desperately tried to cleanse herself. She always felt shame during her cycle.

_xxxxxx_

_"Rin, why are you hiding from me?"_

_The little girl who was now twelve glanced away her cheeks reddening._

_"I-I'm-"_

_He sniffed and knew immediately._

_"You have started your cycle again."_

_She brought her knees to her chest and hid her face in her kimono._

_"I make you angry at these times, because I smell bad. I swear I wash twice a day when it's here, I scrubbed really hard. See?" Rin pulled back the sleeves of her kimono showing the scratches from the stones._

_Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed slightly at seeing her self inflicted wounds and hearing her foolish words. She knows nothing of the way of it, he idly thought._

_"Do not harm yourself again, Rin."_

_She stared at him in shock and silently nodded_.

xxxxxx

They were few things that Rin disobeyed blatantly. Scouring herself was one of them. _She does not heed my words for fear that the alternative will anger me more_. Sesshomaru watched as the stone fell from her finger tips and splashed back into the water sinking to the bottom. He followed her tapered fingers along her slim arms to the creamy expanse of her chest. He did not even notice the low growl coming out of him or the shocked expression of the woman who could not understand why her Lord was looking at her like a meal. She shook herself of his gaze and ducked back into the water.

"Have I displeased you, Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked quietly.

He stared at her blankly then looked away.

"You still do not do as I commanded?"

She blushed deeply.

"I don't want to be an offense to you, my Lord. Please forgive me for disobeying."

He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and heard her quiet intake of breath. _You mar what is mine_, he growled inside. "Do as you like, Rin." he stated blandly looking away.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

"What is it, Rin?"

"Why were you staring-" She paused uncertain, "Never mind."

He jumped out of the tree landing deftly on the ground. Casually he walked to the edge of the spring and looked down on Rin. Her eyes widened with every step as his shadow loomed over her. He could feel his body throbbing, the clear water did nothing to conceal her body from him. A body he had seen many times, yet it never quite held the allure as it did now. His jaw clenched even tighter as he fought for control.

"What do you know about demons, Rin?"

"Huh?" She paused and chewed on her lower lip thinking of an answer. "They do not sleep much, some are very ugly, others…" His eyes slightly widened, "can be pretty," Sesshomaru's eyebrow lowered, "They're really finicky, many don't eat human food though some eat humans. They don't talk very much but can say a great deal in a few words. They don't like humans generally but some protect humans. They usually have animal or insect traits which heightens there senses. Most demons mate for life and-"

"And?"

"They think women stink when they are in heat."

Sesshomaru turned and started walking away. "Get out, Rin, and get dressed."

_She knows nothing. I have been lax in her education not that humans can attain much_, he thought.

He heard Rin scrambling to catch up with him. They walked in silence to the campsite and Rin spent most of the time staring at the ground. Sesshomaru could sense her unease and though it was not her fault he found some satisfaction in her nervousness.

"Gather what you need from the camp, we leave soon."

Rin looked up at her master in question, "What about Master Jaken?"

Sesshomaru did not spare a glance at her.

"He will find us."

Rin ran ahead to the camp gathering what little belongings she had and in a few moments proclaimed herself ready only to look around and find Sesshomaru already walking towards the west. She quickly mounted Ah Un and followed after her Lord.


	3. Chapter 3

_The moments between the "x's" are flashbacks._

_I hope you enjoy - Druidica

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_

They walked for hours only stopping shortly for Rin to gather food or relieve herself in the forest. Eventually the trees gave way to a great clearing and they approached a large manor home that even though beautiful in structure and design remained a vacant house of memories. Rin recognized it as Lord Sesshomaru's ancestral home, an inheritance left to him by his father, the Great Dog Demon.

Sesshomaru said very little but walked steadily forward anxious to seclude himself within its many rooms. He watched a happy Rin push Ah Un to a canter towards the garden that was over run with wild flowers. Soon she would have his entire manor smelling of her.

"Perhaps this was not a good idea."

He struggled with whether he should change his mind and head back out, but one glance at Rin silenced his thoughts. She was trying to decorate Ah Un in flowers, just as she did the first time he returned to the manor. _This place may keep her distracted and offer some escape for me_, he mused. The last time they were here he could go three days without running into Rin, whereas their wanderings always had them in close proximity. If he was to keep any semblance of his vow this would be the best place to accomplish it. Her scent was still strong and the urge to overtake her was consuming him on the inside. He found his desire of her to be a weakness in his blood line and he despised himself because of it.

Silently he entered his house and went to the master suite. The house was enchanted and everything was always clean without the need of lifting a finger. For that he was thankful as it meant there was no one to witness his shame. Rin's laughter filtered through the open window and a small tremor of remorse flitted at the back of his mind.

He lay down upon his feathered mattress a luxury brought over from the mainland and he stared at the ceiling in self loathing.

"Pretty," he muttered angrily. If he had a tail in this form it would be thumping moodily upon the mattress.

* * *

"Come in Rin."

She jumped at the sound of his voice and slid open the partition and poked her head into Sesshomaru's room. She quickly averted her eyes when she saw him lying on the mattress with only his hakama on and her cheeks blushed crimson.

Silently, he breathed in deeply his eyes still closed. A mistake. The scent crashed over him like a wave.

"Close the panel, Rin."

Quietly she obeyed, but he could sense the slight tremble in her legs.

"Why have you disturbed me?"

Her eyes shot up wide at the question. "I-I-"

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and bored his gaze into her. _She feels it, but she doesn't understand_. She was chewing on her bottom lip again and the blush was becoming a common occurrence. Suddenly, his mind wondered would it be like to nibble on those lips applying slight pressures with his fangs. _No! I must not think these things. _His eyes went from fire to ice. Rin sensed the difference in her Lord; he could feel her body tensing.

"I'm sorry I disturbed you."

She turned to open the partition to leave.

"Rin."

She turned her head back to him.

"I have not dismissed you, yet."

He sat up slowly his eyes never leaving hers. He could feel her body temperature rising. Sesshomaru cursed himself for having stopped her from leaving. _Wasn't that what I wanted just now? To avoid her? __Take her_, his demon blood cried out. He sat on the edge of the bed, his hair slightly mussed from his fitful nap.

"Grab a comb from the adjacent chamber. You will groom my hair for me."

Rin seemed surprised by his request but she ran into the room next door and quickly retrieved the comb. When she returned he was staring out the window looking at the sky slowly darkening. He felt the bed dip as she slowly crawled up behind him. He sensed her uncertainty and then ever so gently she slid the comb from his crown downward. Sesshomaru tried not to feel anything. _It was just a comb! _His eyelids slanted down into narrow slits with each pass of the comb through his hair. _How could such a mundane task feel so arousing?_ Occasionally the comb would tug on his scalp as she carefully tried to work out a few knots; he cursed everyone as the tugging seemed to increase his ardor.

He felt his hair being moved to the side, but he was so wrapped up in the little sensations that at first he did not sense what was transpiring. Taking in a breath that was half air and half reluctant sigh his eyes snapped open and he turned his face to Rin. The comb was held in her hand about to go for another pass but that was not what caught his attention. Her eyes were dilated; he could smell her innocent arousal and something else.

_xxxxxx_

_Sesshomaru was standing in his father's study staring at his back. His father was usually quiet and normally did not request his presence._

_"Have you noticed any odd scents around the manor lately, Sesshomaru?"_

_"There are many odd scents, Father."_

_His father turned to face him and sat at his desk annoyed at his son's stoic façade._

_"This scent would be quite distinguishable from the others, one you would not have noticed until recently."_

_Sesshomaru's eyes glanced away as he mulled it over. "The scent coming from the females."_

_The Great Dog Demon was not comfortable having this conversation as he was sure his father before him had felt the same way. Yet, with no mother present it was left to him to divulge certain life lessons. It was true that time would have taught him what his son needed to know, but ignorance usually gave way to philandering among male demons._

_"You are maturing, Sesshomaru. There are certain things that you must know now, to keep our honor in tact. The scent you smell has it caused any stirrings within you."_

_Sesshomaru almost blushed. "Curiosity, nothing more, Father."_

_His father chuckled._

_"When females are in heat they give off a potent scent that calls all males to them. It invokes the urge to mate or in many cases just rut with every female you can. However, these actions may be worthy of lesser demons but to royal blood lines it is something to be avoided at all costs until you are mated. For those of our blood line, the Inu in us makes us more sensitive to sounds and smells, therefore requiring us to practice extreme control over our natural instincts."_

_"I understand, Father."_

_His father stared at him. "I'm not sure you do, my son. You are the heir to our ancestry, Sesshomaru. If you are too keep these lands within our power you must not succumb to matters of the flesh unless she is your mate."_

_"How will I know this?"_

_"You will feel compelled to mark the female, a mark left by your fangs usually somewhere between the neck and the shoulder. Their blood will flow slightly into your mouth and you will seal the wound with your saliva. The mark is then made. It is both visible and invisible as it will also mingle your scents permanently. From that point on the female is yours. Other demons will recognize the mark and your scent usually leaving the female alone."_

_Sesshomaru took in the information silently._

_"Ask your questions, my son."_

_"With how many females may I do this?"_

_His father laughed, but his son found no humor in the situation._

_"One, my son, and trust me one female is all you need. If the first female should die it is then permitted for you to seek out another mate. Usually the bond is cut if your mate dies."_

_"Usually?"_

_His father sat back for a moment gauging his son._

_"There are some cases, where the bond is so deep it surpasses death."_

_"I understand, father."_

_Sesshomaru waited a moment to see if his father would say more than he turned to leave.  
_

_"My son, there is more. Though it is not looked upon highly there are subtle differences for those demons that mate with humans."_

_Sesshomaru turned to his father casually. "I will never dirty our blood line with a human."_

_His father's eyes narrowed. "Still, you will listen."_

_"As you wish."_

_"The mark goes both ways, usually a female demon's blood will automatically mark your body in the identical spot that is on hers, however, with humans they must mark their mate with their own teeth."_

_"They would not have fangs to pierce the skin. They are too weak."_

_"Things are not always so simple, Sesshomaru. When you mark your mate part of you joins with them. Between two demons the effects are usually in demeanor, but with humans they can become outward. When they feel compelled to mark upon you fangs will grow on them for the mark. They will not even realize what they are doing only that they must do it."_

_Sesshomaru turned back around and headed towards the door. "Again, Father, your words are wasted on me. I will never mate with a human."_

_xxxxxx_

He reached out his hand to her face and lifted her upper lip slightly. He felt along her front teeth until the sharp point of a fang met his finger. Rin did not seem to be aware of what was occurring. Her eyes were focused on his neck. _She is trying to return the mark_. Sesshomaru was certain that he should feel disgust and anger at her presumptions, but instead a craving stirred within him. His body yearned to be completed; unconsciously he was drawing her face to his neck. Her hot breath wafted over his skin and her scent filled his senses. He could feel the faintest touch of her lips on his flesh and his blood pooled into a molten mass in his loins. Time seemed to slow as he waited to feel her borrowed fangs puncture his skin. The sound of their heartbeats reverberated in his ears thumping out time.

"Mine," she whispered.

Just as she was about to sink her fangs in him, Sesshomaru pushed Rin away and stood up.

"No, Rin."

_Is this how it happened with my father? Was he seduced by the potent smell of that woman and forced into claiming her? _Sesshomaru paused. His father had never marked the human woman. He glared at Rin, with new found self loathing. He had become weaker than his father.

Rin blinked and looked around the room not remembering how she came to be in Lord Sesshomaru's room. _Oh, no…I've done it again_, she thought miserably.

"Forgive me, my Lord!"

She dropped the comb and ran for the partition, slamming it shut on her way out. Sesshomaru looked down at his feet. One foot was in front of the other. He had wanted to stop her from leaving. Rage boiled up inside of Sesshomaru and he swung out with his claws destroying all the walls in the room and leaving it a world of splinters. He blinked his eyes and when he reopened them the enchantment on the house had repaired the room. He growled.


	4. Chapter 4

_The moments between the "x's" are flashbacks._

_I hope you enjoy - Druidica_

He ran at blinding speed towards the scent. While withdrawing his sword as he approached his prey, Sesshomaru spotted the familiar red cloak in the distance. _Inuyasha would die this time_. He swung his sword in a backwards arc and prepared to slice the arrogant half-breed in two. His sword was met in a steely clang by the Tetsusaiga.

"What? Don't tell me you missed me, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha grinned at his older brother.

"Die!" He yelled pushing Inuyasha back with his blade.

The half demon jumped back and held his sword ready to parry Sesshomaru's next attack. He sniffed the air and tensed. _Something's not right_, he thought.

"Why are you attacking me after five years of silence? What the hell crawled up your ass?" Inuyasha yelled.

Sesshomaru lunged forward striking blow after blow, which was met each time by Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga. Their fight covered the whole clearing and the echoes of their swords meeting in fury could be heard for a mile. Inuyasha watched his brother carefully. Sesshomaru was attacking him with blind rage. There was something different about his scent that Inuyasha just couldn't put his fingers on.

"Why won't you die!" Sesshomaru yelled slicing at Inuyasha with his poison claws.

"Inuyasha!"

The half demon's ears perked up and his eyes widened in panic "Kagome, stay back!"

A woman with black hair was running over the hill. Following behind was a small child with long white hair trying to keep pace with her, in his hands a wooden sword.

"Rin?" Sesshomaru's eyes stared at the woman and child a dread welling up inside him. He had seen this image, yet it was different. The moment left him stunned to stillness.

Seeing Sesshomaru lower his sword, Inuyasha swung and knocked it out of his grasp. His brother did not even seem to notice. Until he felt the Tetsusaiga at his throat. Sesshomaru looked at the blade with almost a longing.

"Now explain why are you taking your venom out on me?"

"Father!" The boy was running to Inuyasha waving his sword.  
"Kagome, keep him back!"

Kagome grabbed onto her son's outfit as he tried to run away. He fought against his mother's grip and broke free running to his father's aide. He slipped between his father's legs and started beating Sesshomaru's legs with his wooden sword. "Leave my father alone!"

"Son, get back now!"

The boy gave a final kick to Sesshomaru's shin then ran behind his father's legs glaring at him.

"There is something different about your scent, Sesshomaru. I smell a human on you and given the name you called out I would say it's that girl you've been looking after all these years!"

Sesshomaru still stared at the child his stoicism returning. "It is none of your concern."

Inuyasha put his sword away sensing that the rage had left his older brother. "It is if you come here trying to attack my family."

"I did not know you mated."

"From your scent I would say you did to. Must rub that we aren't so different anymore."

Sesshomaru glared at the half demon. "I am nothing like you."

"Humph! You're right! _I'm_ not a jackass." Inuyasha picked up his son and held him protectively.

"Why did you take a human as your mate, Inuyasha? You always claimed you would become a full demon."

Kagome walked up shaking a finger at Sesshomaru, "What's wrong with being human anyway?"

"Mind your business woman."

Inuyasha handed his son to Kagome and drew his sword again, "Hey, no one insults Kagome like that! How would you like it if I called Rin a brainless half-wit for following you around?"

"Inuyasha! It's not Rin's fault she's stuck with this emotionally constipated _cold fish_!"

Sesshomaru's eyebrow lifted at the phrase.

The half demon glared at his mate. "I was trying to make a point, Kagome!"

"Well, you shouldn't insult innocent people!"

"Will you go take our son back home and leave this to me!"

"Don't you dare tell me what to do!"

"Woman, for once in your life will listen to what I have to say!"

The boy hit his father on the head with his wooden sword. "Stop yelling at Mommy!"

Sesshomaru picked up his sword and started walking away.

Inuyasha and Kagome stared at him. "What's wrong with him?" Kagome asked curiously.

"Father, why did that man smell like us?"

Inuyasha looked at his son and ruffled his hair, "Here's your uncle."

"He's rude!" The child stated firmly then proceeded to suck on his thumb.

"I think I better take him home," Kagome stated then started back down the hill towards the village. "Are you coming, Inuyasha?"

The half demon stared at the faint outline of his brother. He shouldn't care, but something definitely wasn't right. "I'll be there soon. Stay in the village until I return."

Inuyasha ran into the forest he knew the path Sesshomaru would take to his lands, he would cut him off and get answers.

_Foolish. Weak. Disgraceful._

These were the words being muttered in Sesshomaru's mind over and over, but they were directed towards him. Though he had attacked Inuyasha numerous times before this was the first time he sought out to punish him for his own actions. He fought without any discipline or honor. Just rage. His demon blood was against him in his actions. He refused to complete the mating ritual and in doing so he denies his very nature. He should have stayed and listened to everything his father had to say. He should have never saved that girl from her fate. Regret was all Sesshomaru could feel and for a person who feels nothing, regret is the last emotion you want.

Sesshomaru stopped walking.

"So the great Lord Sesshomaru has been brought to his knees by a human. I thought I would never see the day."

"I would strongly suggest you let this topic drop, Inuyasha. Unless you want your son to grow up without a father."

Inuyasha jumped down from the tree he was hiding in and landed in front of Sesshomaru. He crossed his arms over his chest and planted his legs apart. He had no intentions of letting his older brother off that easily.

"Cut the crap, Sesshomaru! Why don't you tell me why you really came?"

"Like I said, it is none of your concern."

"She doesn't know does she?"

Sesshomaru spared a glance at Inuyasha and inwardly cringed at his little brother's insight.

"What do you know about it, half breed?"

"Would it kill you to actual have a conversation with me without trying to bite my head for something that wasn't _my_ fault? You want to know how I know? Look!" Inuyasha pulled aside the cloth of the fire rat to reveal the mating mark on his shoulder. "I'm mated to a human remember. It wasn't a great idea at first to me either, but I'm not as stubborn as some people I know."

"Then why do it?" Sesshomaru asked blandly.

"Why not? There have been two people in this world who wanted me just as I am. Kagome and my mother." Sesshomaru's eyebrow lowered at the mention of the woman who brought their father to his death. "Even Kikyo wanted me to become full human before she would be with me and you wouldn't accept me because I wasn't full demon. Kagome has never feared me or purposely tried to kill me because I was half demon. She accepted me as is."

"It's a wonder how she can stand you." Sesshomaru said dryly.

"You know what I wonder the same thing everyday, but she does. It took me a long time to accept the fact that we were meant to be together, but eventually I came to my senses and realized the only person I was fighting against was myself."

"How fortuitous for you."

"Give it up, Sesshomaru! You have two choices. You can fight it and be miserable, cranky, angry and as Kogome would put it, drown in your own self pity. Or, you can face the risk and take a chance at being happy. The mark you placed on the woman is not going to disappear. You are not going to be able to just send her away or lock her up. Plus, you should take responsibility for your actions. You owe Rin that much!"

"Enough, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru walked passed his little brother and continued the journey back to his manor. The last thing he needed was more guilt over what he had done to Rin and what he had done to himself.

Inuyasha yelled after his brother, "It's Rin I feel sorry for; she has to spend the rest of her life dealing with a apathetic prude named Sesshomaru. Which by the way, I can still smell that you haven't even _touched_ a woman yet." Inuyasha wasn't sure he understood the term "apathetic" but he had heard Sango and Kagome use it often enough to describe him and anything that sounded like "pathetic" was enough to always irk him into action. He hoped it had the same effect on his brother.

Sesshomaru spun around and unleashed his venom attack towards Inuyasha, but his half breed brother had already bounded into the trees his scent becoming faint. _Apathetic prude? Emotionally constipated cold fish? _His eyes narrowed into angry slits. These compliments were beginning to grate on Sesshomaru's limited vanity. He would pretend the last statement of his little brother never happened. He was the great Lord Sesshomaru; great demons do not succumb to matters of the flesh. Unless, it is with their mate.

_xxxxxx_

_"Sesshomaru," the female demon cooed as she sauntered beside him in the forest. "You have grown to be quite a fetching looking demon."_

_He could smell that she was in heat and though his body reacted to her scent his will squashed the fleeting desire. Sesshomaru looked at her out of the corners of his eyes._

_"You waste your time with me." He calmly answered then resumed his trek._

_The female would not be so easily dissuaded. She stood in front of him blocking his path. "Do you not find me attractive?" Her body came dangerously close to his, her chest butted up against his armor. Sesshomaru could feel his body responding. "I can smell your arousal," she purred her lips grazing his ear point._

_He wasted no time and pushed the female demon to the ground and stared down at her from above. "You flatter yourself."_

_He walked away leaving her sulking._

_"You too, will one day give in to your desire, Lord Sesshomaru." He stopped at her comment and she smiled. "And she will have you wrapped around her little finger. You will be a dog begging at her feet!"_

_Sesshomaru did not dignify her with a response. Her claims were too absurd and he had heard it from many of the fawning females he had rejected._

_xxxxxx_

Sesshomaru caught the faint scent of a demon moving quickly towards him as he was about to pass the barrier that protected his manor.

"Lord Sesshomaru? Lord Sesshomaru! Why did you leave me master? When I came to the clearing I saw that you had been gone for days."

"Silence, Jaken."

Jaken sniffed the air and gasped at the scent.

Sesshomaru knew his servant could smell the scent of the mating on his body and also knew he could distinguish whose scent was mingled with his.

"You will sense a change in Rin. You will not mention it with her or with myself."

"But, Lord Sesshomaru how could this be?"

He pinned the little green demon with a cold stare and Jaken shrunk beneath the weight of it.

"If you disobey me in this, I will kill you."

Sesshomaru crossed the barrier leaving a stunned Jaken to trail behind him. Things almost felt normal. Then her scent hit him. Her heat had passed, but the scent still seemed potent to him. He looked up to see a happy Rin running towards him in her hand a bunch of wildflowers. She had often greeted him this way. He sensed her relief and innocent joy. It almost soothed him.

"Lord Sesshomaru! I am so happy you have returned, My Lord!" She looked up at him with a huge grin and presented him with the flowers. _It's Rin I feel sorry for. You should take responsibility for your actions. You owe Rin that much. _Inuyasha's words haunted him. He reached out for the flowers in her hands; his fingers brushed hers as he grasped the bouquet. Rin's heartbeat accelerated at his touch and heat surfaced on her face. Sesshomaru took the flowers silently from her and then headed into the manner house.

"I will have a bath in the private house spring, Jaken." Sesshomaru said over his shoulder.

"Of course, My Lord! I shall prepare it right away." Jaken started to sprint ahead of his master to the house.

"Jaken." The little demon stopped at the sound of his master's voice.

Sesshomaru looked down at the flowers in his hand.

"Rin will be," Sesshomaru searched for the right word. "Accommodating me."

"My Lord?" Rin spoke questioningly.

"Jaken see to it that you show her what needs to be done."

The great Lord Sesshomaru walked into the manor house heading to his suite. _I surely hate myself for the torture I am about to endure_, he thought wryly. Still even if he had no plans of taking her, he would at least taste that which he craves.

As he walked down the halls he saw that Rin had been busy while he was away. Flowers adorned every room and the scent was intoxicating. He could smell wild mushrooms and fresh fish coming from the kitchens. The house had a feeling he had not felt since his father's reign, life. Even in Rin's ignorance she was fulfilling her role as mistress of his estate. Again, Sesshomaru expected all of this to anger him, but instead it all felt natural.


	5. Chapter 5

_The moments between the "x's" are flashbacks._

_I hope you enjoy - Druidica_

He waited for her to slide his door open. She had been standing there taking deep breaths for a little over five minutes. Sesshomaru could sense her trepidation at the task she was about to undertake. He could have demanded she enter but he himself wasn't sure if this was the best course of action. He could already feel his demon self emerging, invoking the deep urge to mate. His will was beginning to wane against the current of desire rushing through his veins. Sesshomaru still did not understand how he was able to successfully block such urges for over 400 years, yet this woman, this human woman was testing his firmest resolve.

_You are mated to her_, his blood cried out.

The panel slid open. His breath stopped.

"Your bath is ready, Lord Sesshomaru."

"Take the flowers from bedside table and place them in the water. I will be there directly."

"Yes, My Lord."

_She is mine to take_, he thought greedily.

His hand gripped the wood sill of the window and crushed it with his grip. _This is unacceptable_, he chided himself_. I will not become a slave to such thoughts! _Sesshomaru steeled himself from his lust and left the room. The spring chamber was near his suite as to be easily accessible to the master of the house. The manor held another spring that was for guests and other residents. It was a luxury all of the great Inu thoroughly enjoyed. Fresh water was always a haven from the onslaught of scents that they endure with their keen senses.

He slid the panel open and entered the room with masked determination. Closing the panel he scanned the room. The tapers had been lit in the corners and the flowers strewn in the water as he requested. Rin sat motionless on her knees in the corner staring at him with wide eyes. _She is nervous but she still has no fear of this or of me. Why is it she has more bravery than I in this matter? She does not know still_, he reminded himself.

Rin rose to her feet and for a moment they just gazed at each other. Taking a deep breath Rin slowly closed the space between them. When she stood directly in front of him she looked up and met his golden gaze.

Sesshomaru memorized her face. He had looked at her a thousand times and yet in this moment he truly saw her. Her hair wasn't black but the darkest shade of brunette and her eyes were not brown but dark golden amber. Her skin was flawless and pale like moonlight yet at her cheeks there was a rosy blush. The dirt smudges that once adorned her face as a child he realized had long since vanished. Her lips were full and slightly pouted. _She has been chewing on her bottom lip again_, he thought. Rin had exchanged her plain kimono for an emerald green silk one. The fabric clung to her small frame and he could see the faint scar of his mark peeking out from the material.

_She is mine_, he thought again. This time though it was a thought of pure pleasure.

Rin reached forward and began to undo his obi. Sesshomaru mentally shook himself of his reverie and grasped her hands with his one.

"What are you doing, Rin?" He asked quietly.

"Preparing you for your bath, My Lord," She said innocently.

Sesshomaru had forgotten for a moment why they were there. He removed his hand and Rin continued to undo his obi. She took great care with the material not letting it touch the ground. She folded it gently and placed it on the wooden table. Next she removed his fur pelt and hung it on the large hook on the wall. Sesshomaru helped her with the weight of his armor and then that too was set aside forgotten. His eyes never left hers as she continued to undress him. His senses were zoned onto her breathing, her heartbeat and the arousal that was building within her. Sesshomaru could also sense her confusion and uncertainty over the stirrings in her body. Having never been educated in what was transpiring within her he could feel her trusting only what her instincts told her. In this, she was very unlike other humans.

When she untied the sash of his kimono she walked around to stand behind him. He heard her move the stool and she climbed up on it so that she could reach over his shoulders. Her arms brushed over the top of his shoulders and he soaked in her scent and her warmth. Innocent hands slid over the front of his chest trying to reach the edges of the kimono. When her fingers met his flesh he heard Rin quietly gasp. The sound was quite pleasing to Sesshomaru. Her small hands grasped the material and slowly pulled the fabric off his shoulders and his right arm. She reached up and placed it on the second hook beside her. Rin's heartbeat increased dramatically.

Sesshomaru stayed very still waiting for her to come back around. The only clothing left on him was his hakama and boots. In over four centuries no female had ever seen his full flesh with the exception of his mother. The training his father had given him had forbid him from ever succumbing to matters of the flesh and later it had been his pride that kept him from engaging in such activities. Now with his unknowing mate he would be exposed. Rin was not the only one who would be nervous though he would never admit it.

Rin slowly walked around to Sesshomaru's front with the stool in hand. She placed the stool on the ground and kneeled in front of it. His eyes slightly widened at the level to which her head was at. Rin reached forth to accept one of his feet. _My boots_, he thought relieved. He gave her his right foot and she gently tugged the boot free and placed it on the ground. She slowly unwrapped the cloth that bound his foot as he stood there with unwavering balance. The slight brushes of her flesh though were like fire burning his skin, sending little bolts of desire up his entire body.

After his left foot was unbound she moved the stool to the side and rose before Sesshomaru. Her face was flushed and her breathing slightly erratic. The scent of her arousal was becoming stronger. He was thankful that she did not possess the keen senses of a demon as he would not be able to hide his body's reactions from her. As it was, it was taking every ounce of his control to suppress the outward signs of his arousal. She met his gaze and sensed her question. Should she continue?

He should have said no. He should have told her to leave and then sink into the water for solace. Instead Sesshomaru took her hand and placed it on his muscled abdomen just above the material of his hakama. Rin gripped his flesh and he inhaled sharply. She heard the intake and glanced up at her Lord in concern. To answer her again, he took her other hand and placed it near the other. Rin did not do anything at first. She took in a shuddering breath, willed the shaking in her hands to cease and she began undoing his hakama. _This woman will know me like no other_. Watching her he realized his fate was sealed long before he had marked her.

The material of the hakama fell away and Rin could not move to catch it. He looked and saw that her eyes were closed, her cheeks even redder than before. _This will not do_, he thought.

"Rin," His voice was so soft that he almost did not recognize it as his own.

"My Lord, I've never seen-" She stifled her comment and looked at the wall.

His hand gently lifted her chin and turned her face to meet his eyes.

"Rin, open your eyes. Do it for me?"

Her eyelids fluttered and timidly she opened her eyes and met his gaze. His eyes were not cold like normal. From somewhere in their depths she felt warmth coming from him. Sesshomaru could feel her nervousness lessening.

"Look at me," He demanded gently, then he added a word he had never used his entire life, "Please."

Rin's eyes widened and he felt a surge of confidence run through her. Though she was still very timid her eyes went from his face slowly down his body. Her gaze was like a soft caress to his flesh. With every second she took in his flesh he could smell the scent of her arousal growing. This was a wave a relief for him as he realized he had been steeling himself for rejection. Her eyes drifted to his chest, to his missing left arm. Down to the magenta stripes that reached over his hips. Her innocent hands reached out to his body and touched the stripe. Sesshomaru stopped breathing and desperately swallowed back the moan that wanted to issue forth. He was tempted to remove her hand, but at the same time he didn't want her to stop. He closed his eyes while without any guile she traced the stripe slowly to its end. Her eyes widened to full capacity. There nestled in a swirl of white curls was the oddest thing she had ever seen and it looked like it was getting bigger.

Rin's innocence gave way to curiosity. The flesh was the same color as Sesshomaru's body but there were two stripes that came around the flesh to the tip. She touched the tip of the stripe with her finger.

Sesshomaru's eyes snapped open. "No, Rin!"

She jumped back at her Lord's sudden outburst

"I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru!" She stammered, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

He immediately calmed down at her frightened look.

"You didn't hurt me, Rin. Males are just," He looked for the right word, "Sensitive there."

"Oh," She said.

Sesshomaru glanced at her again then turned to enter the spring. He could feel her eyes staring at his backside. It was too much for him to handle, he quickly submerged himself under the water and did not come up until his lungs were ready to burst. When he surfaced he saw that Rin had folded his hakama and placed it on the table with his obi. Sesshomaru looked to his side and saw Rin standing on the edge of the spring with her hands on the sash of her kimono. His gazed could not leave her hands as he watched her slowly untie the sash. _What was she doing_, he wondered. The sash fell away and the kimono parted showing a line of pale flesh.

Sesshomaru averted his gaze willing his demon blood back.

"Please, my Lord," Rin implored. "Don't look away."

He closed his eyes fighting for control.

"You do not know what you ask, Rin."

"Please."

_She is yours_, his demon blood cried out.

Sesshomaru pierced her with his heated gaze. Rin let the kimono slip off her shoulders and fall in a graceful pool around her feet. She did not try to hide her nakedness from him. Her hands rested at her sides and she waited with baited breath as he scanned her flesh. His eyes feasted on her. He followed the graceful line of her neck to her creamy bosom. Her breasts were not too big and not to small, in fact he was certain they would fill his hand perfectly. Her waist narrowed and then swelled slightly at her hips. Tight curls covered her sex and her legs where smooth and tapered.

He had lost the battle with his loins. The blood had pooled and hardened and he didn't even want to try and suppress it. His demon blood was boiling. Surging through his veins. He almost growled.

"Do I displease you, Lord Sesshomaru?"

He wanted to scoff at the absurdity of her question. _How could she not know what her body was doing to me? _Sesshomaru extended his hand out to her a silent order for her to join him in the water. Rin only hesitated a moment before placing her hand in his. She slowly descended into the spring and guided by her Lord stood before him between his knees.

Sesshomaru's hand cupped her face and he stared at her. Though torrents of emotions were passing through him, only a few ever graced his face. "I do not think Jaken mentioned these things in his instructions." He stated blandly while stroking his thumb over her cheek.

Rin smiled shyly, "No, my Lord. I do not quite understand what I am feeling, but this all feels as it should be. Forgive me if I am being impertinent."

"You have always been impertinent, Rin. It is your nature." Sesshomaru almost felt like smiling.

Her hand came up out of the water and touched his cheek outlining the stripes. Then her fingers lightly traced over his pointed ear. "As a child I've always wanted to touch your ears and run my fingers over your stripes and now I cannot stop myself from doing so."

Sesshomaru sensed the change coming over her. Her eyes glazed over and her lips parted showing the fangs. The sight aroused him greatly. He had denied her the right to mark him before. He decided he would not do that twice. His hand pressed her face towards left shoulder and once again he felt her warm breath on his skin. This time though she nuzzled his neck with her lips dragging them across his skin searching for the place that she would stake her claim. A small tug at the back of his mind told him that this was not what he wanted, but it was too late to be heeded.

"Mine," she whispered for the second time.

_Yours_, he silently responded. Then her fangs sank into his flesh. The pain was intensely pleasurable his hand gripped her tight to him as felt his skin break and the gentle sucking of Rin taking his blood. With each suction of her lips a wave of desire coursed through him, with each suction he felt her scent mingle with his just a little bit more. When she withdrew her fangs he almost protested and when her tongue lapped at his neck he lost it.

He sensed Rin's consciousness returning and the slight fear that was enveloping her, but he didn't give her a chance to pull away from him. He maneuvered in the water pinning Rin against the edge of the spring. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Lord Sessh-"

Sesshomaru's mouth descended onto hers. First, he massaged her lips with his teasing himself with her taste. Then nibbled at them with his fangs. Rin's mouth parted in a soft moan and Sesshomaru took full advantage of her innocent responses. He slid his velvety tongue into her mouth and fed on her. She tasted like honey and wild flowers and something that was all together just Rin. With each pass of his tongue over hers he wanted more. After a moment her tongue hesitantly met his and Sesshomaru slowed his assault coaxing her to respond to him. He sensed a fight within Rin and suddenly it snapped. Rin's hands shot out of the water and delved into his hair gripping him to her. Her tongue danced with his with pure abandonment.

He brought his arm around Rin and pressed her body against his. Her skin was afire and felt like heaven against his cooler flesh. He flexed against her and she gasped in his mouth but she did not break away. His claws dug into her flesh and in return her hands moved to his back and she dug her nails in and scratched. Sesshomaru growled in approval and proceeded to drag his lips along her jawbone to her ear where he playfully nipped on her lobe and then she matched him. If he bit, she bit. If he licked, she licked.

She met him kiss for kiss, caress for caress, scratch for scratch. Electricity coursed through his body and every nerve ending was alive.

_She is yours_.

Sesshomaru pulled away and he swore Rin hissed in protest. He looked down at the woman in front of him and what he saw stunned him. Her eyes were more golden and in them was a raw hunger. She looked like she was going to devour his very soul. Her lips were slightly parted and he saw that the fangs were still present. He disengaged one her hands from his hair and saw that her nails were replaced by claws. He looked at her ears and saw that there were slight points at the end. His father had been right.

He smelled his blood inside her raw and untamed.

Rin lunged at him and wrapped her legs around his waist knocking him back to the other side of the spring. Stunned he lay there motionless and then he felt her. She was kissing along his jaw line…nibbling on his ears. Her claws scraped over his nipples causing a sharp intake of breath. Her sex was pressed against his stiff member teasing him. He could feel the protest in the back of his mind starting to come forward, but he couldn't quite reach it. Rin licked his nipple and suckled on him. His hand latched onto her hair and he growled low in his throat. She sunk in her fangs and his body bucked under her.

"Rin."

His voice was hoarse with over four hundred years of repressed desire. Rin stilled. He felt her fangs retract and her body grow tense. He gazed down at her and saw something he had never seen before. Fear and it was directed towards him.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Her voice was trembling and her eyes were welling up with tears.

_She doesn't know_, his mind cried out.

Rin started to pull away from him. He grabbed her arm. She looked down in surprise and the tears started falling down her cheeks.

"Rin? Why are you scared of me?"

"Why do I feel this way, my Lord?"

The answer was there on his tongue ready to be voiced, but the self loathing washed over him again. _It's Rin I feel sorry for. _His brother's voice echoed in his head. _What have I done? _Sesshomaru asked himself miserably. He released her.

"Get dressed, Rin. Then you may retire."

Rin blinked. His pitiless voice was back, his face a steel mask. Rin tried to cover herself with her arms as she stepped out of the spring. As a courtesy to her embarrassment he stared at the ceiling with cold flat eyes. She didn't tarry but threw on her kimono, tied the sash and departed. Sesshomaru sat in the water trying to forget the physical effects she had left him with_. ..drowning in your own self pity_. He tried to place blame on anyone or thing besides himself, but in the end there was no other person to blame except the great Lord Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru stood in front of the panel to her room. He did not for how long. He could hear every sob and smell every tear that fell from Rin. Still he had not entered. His shoulder burned with the pain and confusion she was feeling. The curse of the mark. He imagined that his mark was only making her feel cold indifference. The only emotion he knew how to successfully portray.

Sesshomaru tried to feel regret over what had transpired between them, but he found that he had none. It was for this reason he could not enter the room. If he could offer no regret, he could offer her no solace.

_Tell her_, his mind begged.

_I have stolen you, Rin, without your knowledge or your consent_.

Sesshomaru sniffed the air. _Arousal? _He sensed it was coming from Rin and it was very strong. He could hear her breath quickening and her heartbeat accelerating. He could smell no other in the room, but his demon aura screamed with jealousy. _Who dared encroach on what was his? _He slid the panel open very slowly and the sight that greeted his eyes confused him. She did not notice him, she did not seem to notice anything. She lay on her back her kimono open in the front with her legs bent and parted. Her hand was between her legs rubbing against her sex.

He should not be watching this. Sesshomaru tried to advert his gaze and leave but he found he could not move. Rin's desire was increasing rapidly, her body bucked beneath her ministrations while her other hand gripped the futon in desperate need. Soft moans issued from her mouth. He could feel the tension in her body building towards release.

"Sesshomaru!" She cried out quietly and her back arched and her body convulsed. After a few moments she sagged against the futon and the only sounds left were that of her heavy breathing.

He slid the panel closed. His body ached and his mind was reeling. _How dare she find pleasure without me? How dare she obtain release while I suffer from this all consuming lust?_ His eyes blazed red. In a rage he flew out of the manor and into the night.


	6. Chapter 6

_The moments between the "x's" are flashbacks._

_I hope you enjoy. Thank you to everyone taking the time to read this and my double thanks for your reviews- Druidica

* * *

_

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and quickly shut them again to block out the light. _Pain_.

"What an awful sensation," He mumbled to himself.

He sat up and rubbed his temples. He sniffed the air and the musty smell of dust and cobwebs assailed his senses. _Oh, god. I feel like retching. Demons don't retch. _He opened his eyes again more slowly this time and looked at his surroundings. The room was spinning. He pinched his eyes closed then reopened them even slower. He was on the hard stone floor a dozen broken bottles around him and dozens more still waiting to be opened. _The cellars_, he thought miserably. One of his father's favorite vices. Twelve hundred year old demon sake. Until last night, Sesshomaru had never touched the substance thinking it a frivolous luxury. He picked up an empty sake bottle and then tossed it aside. _How ironic?_ He thought to himself. _The great Sesshomaru was just like his father. Pathetic._

He reached for another bottle this one still not opened. _Brought down by a weak human woman and her devilish self-serving hands. _Sesshomaru ripped the cork out with his fangs and poured the foul smelling liquid into a cup. When he looked at the meager amount the cup held he brought the bottle to his mouth instead and drank the entire contents. The hammering that was banging in his head subsided and the familiar fuzzy feeling of intoxication filled him.

"Now this is the closest I will ever come to knowing bliss," He stammered flinging the empty bottle aside.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" The cellar door lifted open and light poured in on Sesshomaru. "Lord Sesshomaru! I've been looking all over for you!"

"Out or in, Jaken? Whatever you do be sure to close the door again." He stated insipidly.

The green imp entered the cellar and closed the door as his master bade him. He sniffed the air and his forehead wrinkled. _Lord Sesshomaru is drunk!_ He thought shocked. He looked at the state of the cellar. "Demon sake? My Lord you detest mind altering drinks!"

Sesshomaru moved his head to the side with great effort to face Jaken.

"Jaken, you are over 900 years old, at what point will your voice finally go through the change?"

The little demon's mouth opened in shock. "My Lord, stop this at once! You are drunk!"

"Thank you for stating the obvious, Jaken," Sesshomaru grabbed another unopened bottle and ripped out the cork. "However, I'll be damned if you are going to tell what I will or will not do." He tipped up the bottle and drank it down in one gulp and then tossed the offending bottle aside. He stared at his servant who was looking at him with such disappointment_. Good_, he thought. _Feel what I feel towards myself._

"I am an emotionally constipated cold _fish_. I am also an apathetic _prude_," Sesshomaru picked up another bottle and chugged it down. He smirked, "But, Jaken, and _this _is the culmination …I'm _pretty_." He flung the bottle at Jaken who ducked just in time. "What do you think, of your Lord now, Jaken?"

Jaken walked over to his master and stood beside him. "I think you should go back up to the manor and get some sleep!"

"Four hundred years, Jaken. That is how long I've waited. Four hundred _fucking_ years."

"What have you been waiting for, Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru continued without even acknowledging Jaken's question. "And she has only been on this plane for 18 years and she's felt what I have not. Who gave her the right? Arrogant mortal woman!"

Jaken was thoroughly confused. His Lord's demeanor was still expressionless, but his words were quite the contrary. _It was all that human girl's fault_, he deduced.

Sesshomaru grabbed Jaken by the collar and brought him perilously close to his face. "Look at me, Jaken. I'm the son of the Great Dog Demon of the West. I'm immortal, immune and powerful. I could have anything I want, _anyone_ I want but you know what I want right now, Jaken? Do you know what I _honestly_ want? I want to go up to the house, fall at that girl's feet and beg her, yes I said beg her, to have me. I, Lord Sesshomaru, want to be nothing more than be the possession of some weak, human woman, named Rin. I'm pathetic, Jaken."

He tossed the little demon aside and sat back with his head against the wall.

"I suggest you find some worthier demon to follow, Jaken. I'm just as weak as my father."

Jaken stood up and stomped over to his master with fury in his eyes.

Slap!

Sesshomaru eyes narrowed in surprise as the imp demon in front of him looked ready to bolt. He grabbed him by his neck and squeezed the impertinent little demon. "Do not touch me, Jaken. Only one may touch me and _you_ are _not _that one."

He tossed the demon aside and stood up on wavering legs. He silently walked passed the little demon and headed out of the cellar. Jaken scrambled behind his Lord feeling he should not be left alone in his condition.

Sesshomaru opened the cellar door with a strong push and stumbled into the light. He sniffed the air searching for the precise scent he wanted. _Good, she's in the gardens_. A small smile curved his lips. Jaken saw the smile and knew trouble was soon to come. Sesshomaru walked menacingly towards the garden. He saw Rin in a light blue kimono on her knees picking flowers. _What an interesting position she's in_. He pondered the later possibilities that would hold.

Rin heard someone approaching and turned her head to see her Lord walking towards her. He looked haggard, his fur and armor were missing and his kimono was askew. There was a gleam in his eyes and a small smile on his face. She stood quickly and brushed off any dirt that may be on her kimono. He did not stop until he was inches from her.

Sesshomaru leaned his face so that his lips brushed her ear. "I'm not going to let you run away this time, _my Lady_." Then he growled in her ear.

Rin gasped and the world went upside down. Sesshomaru had thrown her over his shoulder and was walking towards the manner.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what are you doing?" She exclaimed trying to squirm in his arms. "Let me go, my Lord!"

"I think not, Rin." He bit her hip and her thrashing immediately stopped.

"Jaken, leave the manor at once, do not return until tomorrow." Sesshomaru paused and then shifted his gaze tothelittle green demonstaring at him with his mouth wide open, "Make that a week, Jaken. Go, patrol the barrier with Ah-Un."

The little demon stopped in his tracks and considered his master. _He intends to complete the ritual._

"Why do you want Master Jaken to leave, my Lord?" Rin asked innocently against his back.

Sesshomaru's smile widened on the inside.

"There are some things that even he should not hear."


	7. Chapter 7

_The moments between the "x's" are flashbacks._

_I hope you enjoy. Again, I thank you foryour time in reading this and double thanks for your reviews - Druidica_

_PS - Um...I've found myself additcted to reviews, if you have a moment your comments are most definitely appreciated._

_PSS - Just a reminder this does have an M rating...let the reader beware

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_

He heard Rin gulp and sensed her nervousness increasing, but he could also smell desire in her. _Desire for me_, he growled. Sesshomaru did not stop until he reached his suite, he opened the panel and shut it upon entering. He willed the house to seal the door. She would not be able to escape him. He placed Rin back on her feet and stood over her. Her face was flushed.

"There is something I must tell you, Rin."

Sesshomaru turned her around and walked her over to the floor length mirror in the corner. For a moment they gazed at their combined reflections. He brought his arm across her chest and peeled back her kimono exposing her left shoulder. Rin was held captive by her Lord's close proximity and did not resist. Sesshomaru removed his hand and brought them even closer to the mirror.

"Do you see the scar on your left shoulder where it meets your neck?"

Rin peered into the mirror and gasped. Sesshomaru leaned his face in and licked the scar's outline.

His lips brushed against her ear.

"You are mine, Rin. That morning in the clearing when you woke to find me hovering above you I had claimed you to me. The scar you see is my mark. A demon's mark binds that person to them as their mate."

Her eyes gaped in silent shock at what he was saying, but he felt no rejection within her. This pleased him greatly. Slowly, Sesshomaru turned her to face him. He grasped her hand and brought it to his kimono pulling it away from his left shoulder. Her eyes widened at the matching scar on his shoulder.

"Last night, you returned the mark to me in the bath. We are one now. That is why you feel compelled to be near me. That is why you feel the stirrings within your body."

He turned her back towards the mirror. He could smell her swelling desire and watched as her appearance altered. Rin's eyes widened and her breath caught. She brought her hands to her ears tracing the faint points and then stared at her hands that now had claws. Her mouth widened in shock and then she noticed the fangs. Sesshomaru wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her body flush against him.

"I am inside you, Rin. Part of my blood courses through your veins granting you some of my gifts." He watched her expression as his words sunk in. "I saw you last night." Her body stiffened slightly and a blush crept up her cheeks. Sesshomaru grasped her right hand with his and brought them over to her sex. "I watched as you rubbed against your mound and brought yourself to completion." Rin closed her eyes in embarrassment a whine escaping her lips. "I was angry. Very angry." He let her hand slip away and instead he placed his palm over her sex. Rin's eyes shot open and she tensed under his hands, but he could feel her growing heat through the material beckoning him. He rubbed his palm against her. "I wanted to be the source of your pleasure. I wanted to be the hands caressing you."

"You were, my Lord." Rin whispered quietly, "It has always been just you."

Sesshomaru growled and spun her around to face him. His lips descended on hers and her arms came around him instantly, clinging to him desperately. Rin jumped up and wrapped her legs around his hips, his hand cupping her body to him. He walked over to the mattress and lay them both down upon it. Her kiss was feverish and he sensed no doubt or uncertainty coming from her this time. Still he pulled back and gazed into her eyes with a question.

"Rin, there is no going back after this. Once I release my true nature I will not be able stop."

"You are mine!" Rin growled surprising him momentarily then his mouth came crashing down on hers again.

Her lips parted and he answered by thrusting his tongue in her mouth. She met him in their dance and her claws sank into his shoulders rendering the fabric of his kimono. He sat back and ripped off the offending material tossing it aside. He took his claws and severed the tie holding her kimono together . Rin sat up against him and let the fabric fall free of her body. Her nipples grazing his flesh. Sesshomaru drew her to him and kissed her neck down her shoulder and along her collarbone. Her response was to cling to him her claws kneading his back.

Sesshomaru dipped his head lower until his lips rubbed against her nipple. He licked the tip and Rin jumped slightly in his arm causing him to raise his eyebrow. _So she likes that_, he mused. This time he slowly licked the rim of her nipple then he blew his breath over the ridged peak.

"My Lord!" Rin gasped.

He suckled her. Tugging on her nipple with his mouth, teasing it with his teeth and then soothing it with his tongue. Rin could do nothing but cling to him her back arching with each new sensation. Though his blood cried out for him to ravage her, he had no intentions of picking up the pace. He would savor every part of her body and every luscious flavor. He moved to her other breast and subjected her to the same torture, her breathing was ragged and hot and he could smell her arousal all around.

Sesshomaru dragged his lips over the plane of her stomach leaving little marks with his fangs. He slid down her body until his face was even with her nether curls. Rin shot up in panic at where her Lord's face was, but he had no intentions of passing up the nectar he knew awaited him. Staring into her eyes the great Demon Lord of the West _licked_ her. Her head snapped back and her hands imbedded themselves in his hair, but still he licked her. He found a little a nub within her folds that with each flick of his tongue had her body convulsing against his mouth. He could feel her heart quickening and her arousal about to culminate. She begged him to stop, but he did not relent. He growled into her mound and she shattered against him. Her back arched and her legs and hands held him tight to her. He smiled against her and with a final lick he slid up her body.

Her body was still trembling when he kissed her deeply. He shared her flavor with her and ran his hand along the smooth skin of her body. Rin opened her eyes and he looked at her. A feral hunger rested in her gaze. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rolled them over so she was on top of him.

"I'm hungry," She growled.

His eyes blazed.

"Then feed," He replied.

She leaned forward and licked the outside edge of his pointed ear. Sesshomaru's breath caught in his throat as he could feel the sensation all the way to his toes. She bit his earlobe and smiled when she felt the slight tremor go through his body. She rubbed her cheek against his stripes then kissed their entire length. She licked and bit along his neck then down his chest. She went to his nipple and repeated his actions. First licking the tumescent nip then blowing air on it. Rin was rewarded with him digging his claws in her hair. She sank her fangs in his chest and he growled pressing her head to him. She licked his blood sealing the wound. Then she went to his other nipple and did the same.

Rin sat up and grazed her claws over his chest resting on the edges of his hakama. She raked her claws against thegarment ripping it to shreds. She tore the rest of the fabric away and she looked down upon his naked body. He watched as there was not any shyness in her gaze this time, only raw hunger. His member was engorged and hovered over his abdomen the magenta stripes standing out bright against his pale flesh. She traced the stripes on his hips with her nails and he flexed in response. She leaned over him her mouth to his ear.

"I can smell you, my Lord. I can feel your want for me."

His eyes widened and she smiled down at him before leaning forward again.

"I'm going to lick _all_ of your stripes."

Sesshomaru felt his heart accelerating pounding fiercely in his chest. She slid back down his body and licked each of the stripes on this hips which ended close to his groin. He watched the slow movement of her tongue as she tasted his flesh. Then her mouth hovered over his erection and with eyes staring directly into his she licked the tips of the stripes. His entire body shuddered with the jolt of desire that surged within him. His demon blood exploded and he could feel his eyes turn red. She did not fear this transformation instead she did the unthinkable. She took his member into her mouth and sucked on him.

He wanted to make her stop, but he couldn't. _She intends to kill me with this pleasure! _His claws dug into the mattress and he writhed under her ministrations. He could feel the heat building within him threatening to burst forth, but still he did not want her to stop. His breathing became ragged and he growled in the agony of the pleasure. She was every bit as relentless as he was, but he would not let it finish like this.

Sesshomaru pulled her off of him and flipped her on her back. Her legs were on either side of him and his member rubbed against her slick sex. Leaning on his left shoulder he reached between their bodies and felt her folds with his fingers. She was wet with longing and desire, she moaned at his touch and nipped playfully at his shoulder with her fangs. Carefully he slid one finger inside her and Rin stilled.

He looked in her eyes and saw the slight uncertainty. Sesshomaru leaned forward and kissed her lips, licking the doubt away. Rin relaxed around his finger and he slowly moved in and out. She moaned in his mouth and he felt her pathway open slightly. _She is small_, he thought. _I will hurt her_. Sesshomaru pulled out his finger and positioned himself between her legs. Sesshomaru looked down at his flushed Rin and felt a mild regret for the pain she was about to endure.

"Rin-"

She cupped his face in her hand and smiled, "I trust you, my Lord."

He leaned forward, bit her shoulder and thrust up inside her rendering her maidenhead. Rin screamed out in pain and clung to his body. The piercing cry wrenched at him and he stayed deathly still inside her. For Sesshomaru it was an exquisite torture. She felt like the finest silk wrapping him in moist heat. He had filled her to bursting and she was snug around his member. He used every bit of his will power to try and calm the urge to spill within her. Then he felt her thrust her hips forward and he moaned in her ear.

He retracted his fangs and looked at Rin trying to see if there was any permanent damage done. Her eyes were glazed over with desire. She wrapped her legs around his waist and brought his head down to her lips. He delved his tongue into her sweet mouth and began to rock inside her. Slow at first he gently thrust inside her, but his Rin had other plans and began to meet him thrust for thrust. The demon within him burned and soon he was lost in the act. She cried her releases over and over again as he kept thrusting within her. Each of her spasms building the heat inside of him. He could feel his body tightening and his blood ringing in his ears. A giant ball of energy was growing deep within him pulsing, threatening to burst. Rin clung to him for dear life and then he felt it. He could feel her body about to shatter against his and this time he was going to join her. Their breaths were joined in time, fast and shallow. Both of their bodies were clenched with tension and their hips were meeting more frequently. Time seemed to slow to a stop and then she clenched down tight on him and her body's vibrations pushed them both over the edge. Sesshomaru's seed shot into her with volatile force and Rin _screamed_.

Sesshomaru fell onto the bed completely drained, but completely content. He could here Rin trying to catch her breath beside him, her hair a tangled mess around her face. The sight pleased him greatly and his pride swelled. He grabbed her arm and drug her limp body against his. She contentedly wrapped her arms around his middle and nuzzled her face against his chest.

"My Lord?"

"Yes, Rin."

She traced a nail over his nipple.

"Can we do that again?"

_xxxxxxx_

_He slid open the door to the master suite and saw his father with the mortal woman._

_"Sesshomaru, why have you disturbed me?"_

_He could not hide the disgust he felt for his father._

_"I wanted to see if the rumors were true. Why have you sullied our bloodline with this mortal?"_

_His father did not bother to look at him._

_"It was you who always detested mortals, my son. One day you will understand."_

_Sesshomaru sneered, "I will never understand why you disgraced our ancestry, nor will I forgive you or that human."_

_This time his father was in front of him with lightening speed and back handed his son._

_"Arrogant pup! Leave this house at once and do not come back until you have learned to respect your father and yourself!"_

_Sesshomaru turned away and left the manor without a second glance._

_xxxxxxx_

_

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**Dear Readers,**_

_**This is not the end and it is not the beginning of the end...the story continues...**_

_**...chapter 8 is waiting...- Druidica**_


	8. Chapter 8

_The moments between "x's" are flashbacks._

_I hope you enjoy. My thanks for reading my story and my double thanks for taking the time to review. -Druidica_

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The room was too bright. Sesshomaru was going to turn on his stomach when he realized there was a person wrapped around his waist weighting him to the bed. He sniffed the air. Rin. The memories came flooding back to him. Rin wrapped around him in ecstasy…their repeated cries throughout the night…her whispered words of devotion. His head pounded. _I will see every bottle of demon sake burned_. Rin nuzzled him and he tensed. He opened his eyes, blinking hard as the light assailed him. When he finally regained focus he looked down at the naked woman clinging to him. 

_What have I done?_

"Mm."

Rin rubbed her lips over his chest and started kissing his flesh. His body immediately responded to her touch. She slid her body over the top of his, nipping his flesh along the way. _Why am I not trying to move away?_ Her fangs sank into his torso and his eyes widened in surprise. She straddled him and he could feel the dew of her arousal against his hard flesh. _I should make her stop! This shouldn't continue_. Even though his mind screamed against her actions his body would not let him push her off. Rin leaned forward and kissed his jaw line down his neck licking her mark.

He grabbed her by her hair and brought her eyes to meet his. Rin slowly smiled looking almost evil, her eyes dripping with lust for him. His demon blood howled at the sight. _She is your mate_. He struggled with what he knew awaited him and what his sober mind now resented. His body was hard and poised to take what was so freely offered. She gently rubbed her hips against him and he almost hissed at how the slight brush of her sex teased him. _Just this once_, he thought to himself, _I will give in…just this once_.

Sesshomaru growled, a desire fed anger filling him. With lightening reflexes he positioned himself under her and impaled her with his tumescent flesh. Rin yelped in surprise and her hands latched onto his chest in a fierce grip, her claws breaking his skin. The pain only fueled him more. Rin did not move but looked down upon his face and grinned devilishly.

"_My_…_Sesshomaru_," She purred.

Her words doused his desire like ice water.

_"You too, will one day give in to your desire, Lord Sesshomaru…and she will have you wrapped around her little finger. You will be a dog begging at her feet!"_

_She acts as if she owns me? _His mind sneered.

"Remove yourself from my body, Rin."

Rin blinked in surprise and tensed. The voice was back.

"Do as I say, Rin."

He felt her confidence instantly drop and embarrassment rising within her. Sesshomaru repressed his instinct to soothe her mind and instead stared through her. Rin's eyes swelled with unshed tears as she climbed off his body. He watched as she picked up the sheet covering her nakedness in sudden shame. _Foolish woman_, he thought. _I know every part of your flesh_. The memory caused a stirring in his loins but he ignored it. When he realized his body had instantly complied to his commands, Sesshomaru decided that maybe this was what he needed in order to successfully avoid Rin and their mating.

_I have tasted her and the ritual is complete. I will no longer desire her._

He felt a nagging in the back of his mind that was calling him a fool, but he paid no heed to it. Sesshomaru rose from the bed and casually went to his wardrobe. He pulled out a silk robe from the mainland. Silently donning the garment, he walked over to the window and stared out at the gardens.

"Rin."

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?" Her voice was a staggered whisper.

"Get dressed and return to your room. You have served your purpose."

He heard her gasp and smelled the salty tinge in the air from her tears. He closed his eyes, telling himself that this was what he wanted. He also told himself that Rin's tears weren't driving daggers into his stomach. That the pain he felt throbbing in his shoulder was just the curse of being bound to a weak, wretched mortal. Lastly, when he heard her running down the halls her sobs finally escaping her body, he tried to imagine that his loathing hatred was towards her and not himself.

_…It's not Rin's fault…_

_…It's Rin I feel sorry for…_

Sesshomaru slammed his fist into the wall shattering the wood beam. The house repaired it. He shattered it again. The house repaired it. No matter how much he tried to rip apart the room around him, he could not destroy it. When he had spent his energy he fell to his knees on the ground with his head hanging. _Did you curse me, Father? Did you know that one day I would succumb to your fate? Did you truly hate me that much?_

_Xxxxxxx_

_"Father, why do you bring me to this place?"_

_The Lord of the West stood in front of a great wooden archway weaved of blood red climbing roses and morning glories starkly pitted against a clear sapphire sky. Though his father's stance always felt like an insurmountable fortress, today he seemed smaller with a resigned aura surrounding him. Sesshomaru stared at this altered image of his father with curiosity. The great demon stepped aside to let his son see the stone shrine that rested beneath the awning. The stone looked freshly cut as if time had never touched it. There were no significant markings to the naked eye, but Sesshomaru could sense a barrier around the stone concealing its true identity. Flowers of all type grew wildly around the memorial like a great cloak of life that defied the death they embraced._

_"Do you know this place, my son?"_

_Sesshomaru sensed an odd stirring in his father and felt uncomfortable at the emotions rising within him. I have never felt this from you, Father. Why do I feel that you fear this place? He stepped forward cautiously and lowered his gaze to the shrine. A peculiar feeling wrapped around his heart and he sniffed at the air around him. A vaguely familiar scent from his past washed over him and he turned his head to look at his father, his eyes wide._

_"This is the place where your mother's remains are buried."_

_The air suddenly felt harsh in his lungs and his chest constricted. He tried to overcome the sudden weakness he felt throughout his body, but in trying to fight it, he fell to his knees in front of the stone monument. His body trembled from an onslaught of pulsing pain that threatened to rip out his heart. An invisible knife gutted him over and over again as Sesshomaru tried to ignore the scent that had been missing since his birth, but he could not block it out. His father said nothing as he watched his son fight with the turmoil assailing him. My son has never known pain in its truest form, the Great Dog Demon thought sadly. He has never felt the all consuming horror of a loss unbearable and even worse, unpreventable. This will be one of the harshest lessons I teach you, my son._

_"Why do you bring me here now, Father?" His son rasped out._

_"We must all face our past in order to conquer the future, my son. You had forgotten that were born of body and therefore you needed to be reminded of your beginning. Take what you feel now and remember it, but do not bend to it. Loss is something that must be felt and understood as a fact. If we let it consume us, we will become slaves to it."_

_My father thinks me weak, he thought icily. I will not be frail in his eyes. Sesshomaru beat down the emotions flooding him and surrounded them with a wall of ice. Slowly, his hearbeat settled back into a calm rhythm, the false pain eradicated. The scent that he thought was abundant, faded to a distant memory. A heavy quiet filled his being and suddenly where there was torrential emotion there was now only wintry silence. Feeling his triumph at conquering the feeble sensations he stood up and glared down at the shrine. He turned to face his father and his eyes fell on the Tenseiga at his hip._

_"Why did you not resurrect my mother?"_

_His father's eyes widened in surprise at his son's inquiry and a slight tremor of horror flitted in his chest at the memory of how she died. The young demon did not need to look in his father's face to know what was undeniably the truth. _

_"You chose not to save your mate." Sesshomaru stated flatly._

_He did not refute his statement, so he walked towards his father and stopped when he was abreast of him. Sesshomaru felt anger at his father's inaction over his mother's death, but he would not let his father see him as a passion driven youth, he was now above such sentiments. He would only offer what his father gave him, indifference. The great demon did not look at him, but Sesshomaru saw the glint of resentment in his father's eyes and knew it was directed towards him._

_"As you know, your mother died bearing you. She asked me to tell you that she knew you before she even birthed you." His father paused and looked down at his son who barely stood as tall as his waist. "She saw your life in a moment and she wanted you to know that-"_

_"It's not necessary for you to tell me, Father."_

_Sesshomaru walked away and never returned to the shrine. The Lord of the West watched his young child walk away and in that moment he felt a part of his son die. _

_Xxxxxxx_

A sharp pain ripped through his shoulder and he gasped at the intensity of it. He searched within himself and found the image of Rin laying on her bed clutching her midsection as waves of misery crashed upon her. He angrily pushed the thoughts aside and he steeled himself from her ineffectual emotions. He stood to his feet and forced his stoic mask of indifference to the surface.

"I am the great Lord Sesshomaru."

Looking out the window he watched as the flowers bowed down in the wind and he felt that somehow the world was mocking his statement.

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_**The tale continues...chapter 9 lies in wait for you.**_


	9. Chapter 9

_The moments between the "x's" are flashbacks._

_I hope you enjoy. Thank you for taking time to read this and double thanks for your reviews. - Druidica_

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Rin didn't leave her room all day; though he casually reminded himself it was the absence of human food cooking that kept him appraised of her whereabouts and was most assuredly not the result of a growing concern for her well being. Normally she could not go six hours without her stomach growling incessantly, but it seemed that she was too exhausted to care about her body's needs. Sesshomaru again reminded himself that it was idle curiosity and sheer boredom that made him stand in front of her door panel listening for her slightest of movements, and not a foolish need to maintain a constant visual over his mate.

_Why does she plague me so? _

The pain in his shoulder finally abated once the sun had set in the mountains and the only connection he felt to her was her acute fatigue. He had intended to leave the grounds and go on patrol for a few days, but the mark, now completed, pulled him back once he had reached the barrier. Though annoying, the sensation could have easily been ignored, however his feet would just not go any further. In resignation he wandered the grounds and surveyed the house in great detail. The effort was fruitless as the enchantment did not let anything fall into disrepair. He was filled with great displeasure when he returned to the cellars only to find that the bottles had mysteriously refilled and the room was fully stocked again. No matter how many times he smashed all the contents of the room, the minute he turned his back they were repaired.

Overall, the day had felt wasted and dull. Jaken for once had heeded his words and was beyond the barrier supposedly patrolling the area, but it was more likely that the little imp was sleeping in the sun on Ah-Un's back. So even he was not there to break the monotony with his high pitched babbling. _When had I ever longed for company? _He would ask himself idly.The gardens though brimming with colored blossoms looked barren without the woman-child. There were no annoying little giggles or groaning protests from a flower inundated Ah-Un. Nothing but blaring silence. _Why do I feel this emptiness? _

_Xxxxxxxx_

_She was dancing again. Rin had done so on many occasions from young child to young adult and though he was loathe to admit it he had witnessed this unbridled display of leisure numerous times. As a child her movements were simple and sometimes awkward with the grand finale being her small body falling into the flowers with a wide smile and a satisfied giggle. Over the years the girl's soundless dance had blossomed into something bordering on being graceful._

_Sesshomaru noticed that Rin would linger in the gardens waiting for a moment when she felt the world was just hers and that no eyes where intruding on her secret moment of frivolity. Her movements were always small at first as the music inside her mind slowly filtered down through her body. Her hand would slowly rise from the flowing grass and she would mimic their movements, her fingertips brushing over the petals and blades like a soft caress. He could sense all her inhibitions flowing out of her body and into the wind. Instead of offering resistance to their waves she joined with them._

_Gradually rising to her feet, one arm would lift to the sky while the other lowered to the ground, a bridge from the earth to the heavens as she slowly twirled in place. The sleeves of her kimono billowing in the wind as her long hair swept up into the air with her fluid motions. Her dancing had no thought or plan but rather it came from some unfathomable connection with the world around her and her own vibrant spirit. Sometimes it would last for mere moments other times it seemed timeless like the world slowed just to relish in her innocent display of absolute freedom._

_Though an aristocratic demon would never admit to it, they all had an affinity to grace and beauty. They would find themselves basking in the finesse and decorum of their surroundings and always held a longing to claim such elegance as their own. Without any instruction this frail yet lithe human possessed such natural brilliance. Try as he might, Sesshomaru could never pry his eyes away from Rin's dance and when it ended as it always did he felt like he had been rudely interrupted from a dream._

_xxxxxxx_

His mind flooded with random memories of Rin, some he indulged others he pushed roughly as it reminded him of the night before. Still she was a frequent thought, like an itch that wouldn't go away and he couldn't help but scratch. The thoughts though, did not mask the feeling that something in the day had been missing and was for this reason that time slowed to tease him with a quandary that he could not find the solution to. It was in some parts of the longer hours of the afternoon while leaning up against a tree lashing out his light whip at cricket demons that Sesshomaru entertained the thought of his brother's company being more favorable than this nothingness that hovered over his properties. The fact that the thought had even crossed his mind aggravated him to no end.

Still the dayhad progressed like a dying heartbeat waiting to rest. Inwardly, he seethed. _Why do humans feel the need to pout? _Sesshomaru left his post outside her door and slowly wandered the hallways, trying to forget that it was he who made this day what it was. It was true that in the moment he had meant to hurt her out of resentment for giving into to his cravings, but demon sake or no, he had wanted to claim her. The bath was evidence of that. This realization did not bode well for him. It was his inability to keep control over his body and keep what vows he had made for himself that forced him to push her away. Throughout the day, he tried to feel regret over the completion of the ritual only to find that once again he had none.

_She is your mate._

His eyelids lowered in consternation.

_…You should take responsibility for your actions. You owe Rin that much…_

Sesshomaru's eyebrows met his eyes in disdain.

His idle meanderings took him to an older section of the residence where his father had often locked himself away in solitude. He stopped when he came to the only hinged wooden doors in the manor house. His golden eyes scanned their length looking for some clue he may have missed in the past. The wood was intricately carved with the image of the true form of the Inu standing proud over the Western Lands. There was no fear and no false arrogance in the demeanor of the great beast, but rather a deep confidence that his will would be done and only a fool would not recognize this fact. His youth had been spent in the shadow of the great demon Lords that came before him, and every time he stood in front of this door gazing up at the ruby eyes, the Great Dog Demon looked down upon him like he was nothing more than a pitiful insect at his feet. They once wrought fear inside him, but now they only brought him disappointment. _Funny how these doors do not seem so tall now,_ he wryly thought.

Sesshomaru brought his hand over to the door handle.

Xxxxxxx

_"What is in that room, my Lord?" A bright voice asked to his left. A young Rin approached the door in awe pressing her hands against the rough dark wood, her eyes wide with curiosity._

_Sesshomaru stepped back from the door and watched as the child held no fear under the door's gaze. Why does she not feel the weight of the Great Dog's stare? The girl happily ran her fingers through each of the grooves that her small height would let her reach. She stretched as far as her tiptoes could raise her as she seemed to pet the engraved Inu's tail. He watched her innocent actions with a blooming resentment. I feel as if this place accepts her more than it has ever accepted me, he reflected bitterly._

_He left without ever answering her question. Sesshomaru anticipated that the child would follow him as she always did, but instead she stayed near the door fascinated by the secrets it held. Several yards away, he thought he heard a surprised gasp from Rin, but he dismissed the thoughts as more than likely being the result of the foolish girl's constant wonderment over trivial matters and continued back to his suite._

_Xxxxxxx_

The handle grew red with great heat as his hand came into contact with the metal. Sesshomaru snatched his hand away and stared at the red welts on his fingers. His eyes went up the embossed door to the glowing ruby eyes of the Great Inu. He could feel the imprinted memories of his forefathers pushing against his mind searching for an answer to a question he had never been asked. His body clenched at the unwanted invasion into his mind, but he was careful not to protest. A few moments passed and the sensation retreated from his body.

_You still may not enter, eldest son of the Great Inu Taisho._

Sesshomaru was not surprised by his family's rejection. He had tried many times to gain access into the study only to be deprived of the right of entry. Turning away from the door, he slowly made his way back to the main section of the manor. Returning to stand in front of her door he closed his eyes and listened for the sound of her steady breathing. _What power do you have over me that makes me stand by your door like some dejected pup? _Cursing himself for being so pathetic he turned and exited the manor. The cool night air washed over him. Embracing the chill he strode across the clearing, the ethereal moonlight shining on his path. He felt a presence in the woods surrounding his property and he was all too familiar with the scent the wind carried.

* * *

_**...Chapter 10...looms near...**_


	10. Chapter 10

_The moments between the "x's" are flashbacks_

_I hop you enjoy. Thank you for taking the time to read this and my double thanks for your reviews. -Druidica_

* * *

The forest as always, was tranquil by day and menacing at night. Sesshomaru could hear every night crawler and nocturnal animal scurrying in the shadows watching out for their next prey. The Demon Lord of the Western Lands could smell their fear as he walked past, his footsteps silent and sure. This is where he felt more like himself. A predator seeking out his prey without question, without fear. Stopping under a great tree, his eyes glanced casually upwards to the red cloaked half demon lounging idly in the branches.

"Why do you trespass on my lands, Inuyasha?"

The dog eared half blood smirked down at his brother.

"Kagome asked me to make sure you haven't killed the human yet."

"The matter is none of your concern."

The half demon jumped down from the tree and leaned up against the trunk surveying the demon before him with amusement. He could smell the anger and frustration emanating from hisolder brother'sbody despite his cool exterior. _The woman's under your skin now, isn't she? _A chuckle escaped him and Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed.

"What is it you find so humorous, half breed?"

"Fully mated one day and you already have her crying and you moping," Inuyasha watched his brother's eyebrow slightly rise at his statement. "What? You think I didn't know. I can tell she's been crying all day, it smells like you live on an ocean! Besides," Inuyasha lifted his hand to the top of his head and jiggled his white dog ear as if it pained him. "It wasn't like you two were exactly quiet about it!"

Sesshomaru adverted his gaze away from his brother, his blood starting to boil.

"Leave, Inuyasha, go back to your human."

"Ha, I could say the same to you. Besides, if I was really a trespasser the barrier wouldn't have let me enter. Don't forget I am still family whether you like it or not."

"Do not try my patience."

Inuyasha pushed himself off the tree trunk and slowly walked over to his brother with his arms crossed. "So, you rutted with the girl and now you think you can just ignore her. You think that if you got one lick in, you'd be satisfied. Guess what, buddy, now you actually know what you hunger for and you will crave it every damn day of your life! It's called being mated. You truly are stupid, Sesshomaru. "

"I have killed for less, Inuyasha. Do not make the mistake in thinking I would need provocation to kill you."

The half demon could sense the fury within the demon rising. _Good_, he thought. Inuyasha was playing a dangerous game with his brother, but he knew it would be better for Sesshomaru to take his venom out on a half demon then Rin. Standing a foot away from the angered Inu, he crossed his arms over his chest and lifted his lips in a leering grin.

"So, was she as good as you imagined or did you find her plucked before taking her?"

Sesshomaru's eyes lowered to lethal slits, his golden eyes afire. His hand was flexed at his side, his knuckles cracking. Inuyasha was not unaware of this warning, but he smirked inwardly. _That's it you arrogant bastard, tell me how you really feel. _Inuyasha knew his comments where erroneous as the Inu in them both could smell purity in a female, however his brother seemed to have forgotten this knowledge.

"Worthless aren't they? Always having to indulge them, always having to look out for them. Then when you think they could give something back, you find they've already given it someone else. Some human women can't help but become whores. I mean she's hardly had a proper upbringing. What could you expect?" The demon's rage was at the precipice. Inuyasha grinned on the inside, feeling some slight satisfaction at his brother's wrath. _Just a little bit more, Sesshomaru, and you'll be right where I want you_.

"I take it from your silence that my assumptions must be true." Inuyasha started to walk away but then he stopped, turned his head and pierced his brother with a mischievous grin and a malicious glare. "Hey, Sesshomaru, since you are obviously done with her and she obviously isn't too choosy with who she lays with, why don't you hand her over to some other demons? Better yet, a ran across a bunch of randy human villagers who would be happy to take her so she can finally know what it's like to have a real man between her thighs!"

Inuyasha immediately felt the air cut off from his lungs. Sesshomaru had him pinned against the tree with his feet dangling above the ground. He grinned at the demon's blazing red eyes. _So you do care for the girl. Kagome was right. I know you now. _He knew the war his older brother was waging and he only hoped he figured out the answer before he killed the poor girl. _I still feel sorry for Rin, _he thought casually.

Sesshomaru snarled his fangs stark against the darkness, "What I claim, I conquer! No one will touch what is mine!"

The half demon sank his claws in the demon's arm and pulled his hand away a fraction so that he could breathe. "You arrogant bastard," Inuyasha choked out. "I know that!" A muscle in Sesshomaru's jaw ticked at Inuyasha's response. "Think about it Sesshomaru. Think about it real hard. Even before your mating, would you have let anyone come near her?"

The demon's eyes widened.

Xxxxxxx

_He stood amongst the trees watching Rin buying food from a merchant in the village. It was winter and foraging had become difficult for the human girl. She had not complained or voiced any concern over the situation but he could not abide the constant rumbling of her empty stomach. So he handed her a coin and told her to go buy supplies for herself from the nearest village. _

_It was not Sesshomaru's intention to follow her, but the scent of her heat caused a stirring within him to make sure she was not attacked by male demons on her way to the village. Such a bother this human is to me, he mused. Rin was sixteen summers an age when most human women were married with a child on their hip, yet he sensed no desire for that within her yet. Her body had the telltale signs of womanhood with all of the feminine mystique that attracts males, but she was ignorant to it. The men in the village, however, were not so blind._

_He watched as their eyes groped her flesh with lecherous intent. Their desire was so potent that the stench of it surrounded his being and he clenched his hand, an anger rising deep within him. A young man around Rin's age saw her carefully examine one farmer's wares and approached her offering his assistance. Sesshomaru's acute hearing picked up their conversation easily. Though it did not please him to see her speaking with an unknown male._

_"May I help you, girl?"_

_Rin looked up at him in surprise and her body slightly tensed at his nearness._

_"No, I just wanted to by some fish and vegetables. I'm fine, thank you."_

_"Oh, I didn't mean to make you nervous. My father is the farmer that grew these vegetables." The young man smiled at her and Sesshomaru could sense Rin's body relaxing. He found his reaction to this unsettling. It is natural for her to comfortable around her own kind, he tried to convince himself. I should leave her here. The demon averted his gaze momentarily pondering leaving._

_"Oh, yes! We do have some mushrooms. In the shed. I will go fetch some for you."_

_Sesshomaru's eyes snapped back up to the scene and he watched the human male walk behind the stalls a few yards away out of sight. He didn't know why, but he transported himself to the human's presence and lifted him off his feet by his throat. The human unable to yell out, gripped onto his arm trying to pry his hand off._

_"You will forget this woman at once. If you go near her again, I will kill you."_

_Dropping the human to the ground he teleported over to Rin, startling the other villagers. She blinked at her Lord in astonishment then smiled. _

_"Rin, take what you need. We are leaving now."_

_She didn't question him. Picking up a few items she left the coin and followed her Lord out of the village, the young man easily forgotten. Though it was too faint for her to hear, Sesshomaru growled at everything with a male scent for the next five days._

_Xxxxxxx_

The demon dropped his half breed brother to the ground. A quiet surrounding his being as he mulled over what his brother had said. _How does he know this? How did I fail to realize my own weak actions? _It was true that he had resented any other male that had come near her, starting with the demon slayer boy who tried to kill her while being ensorcelled by Naraku. His reactions had always been more severe when her cycle would arrive, even to the point of making Jaken leave her presence while he stayed nearby, guarding over her. _No, guarding over my… _

_…I make you angry at these times, because I smell bad… _

Rin's small voice haunted him. _She knew, without ever really knowing_, he reflected._ Still, why now? What was the catalyst that started this? _

Inuyasha watched the mental struggle going on inside his older brother and he almost felt sorry for him. _It must be hard to have everything you never wanted_. Leaning back against the tree he waited for Sesshomaru to speak. He mentally shook his head. _I don't know why I give a damn, but I'm here_, he thought silently.

"Why did you come here? Why this night, Inuyasha?"

"Huh?" The half demon looked up in surprise then cast his glance to the ground. "Call it a hunch or call it experience, but I knew after the first night you would screw it up somehow. As Kagome puts it 'you're a man, you can't help but mess things up!'"

Sesshomaru's eyebrows knitted in careful contemplation.

"Do they forget?"

"Ha! You wish! You have to apologize, grovel and then maybe if your lucky they won't mention it again until the next time you screw up! Which believe me seems to be an almost everyday event!"

Sesshomaru's eyebrows lowered.

"I will not apologize to anyone."

The half demon's lips lifted into a knowing smile. "Yeah, I said that too. I'd try flowers. It doesn't always work, but sometimes you get lucky."

Inuyasha turned away from his brother and started walking towards the barrier. He saw what he needed to and he had fulfilled his promise to Kagome. _I don't miss what you're going through, but for her sake I hope it all works out. The hell if I know how though._

Sesshomaru stood there silently for a few moments before slowly returning back to the manor. He bypassed the main entry way and for some unexplained reason he headed to the one room that most demons have no use for, the kitchens. _Mulberry, Azuki, dill, plum, shiitake, Daikon… _The room always held a myriad of scents from the various herbs and vegetables incased in woven sacks and jars. The ground was covered in stone work instead of wood and on the main wall there was a deep recess with a stone fire pit at the bottom. A thick metal bar was anchored above with an iron pot hanging above the ashes of an old fire. On the center island there were palm fronds covered with wild mushrooms and dangling overhead were fresh water fish recently dried and salted.

Gazing at all the different ingredients that sustained human existence caused his mind to be flooded with the face of his mate. Rin was a half complex creature because even though her moods were erratic, her tastes were simple. If she liked something, she searched it out always. If she disliked something she avoided it. Simple. His brows lowered in dismay. _Is this what she now feels for me? _

Xxxxxxx

_"Rin, don't you ever get tired of eating those things?" Jaken squawked poking the mushrooms with his staff._

_She smiled at the little demon her cheeks stuffed with the food she had been preparing. Rin looked like a foraging squirrel when she attempted to answer Jaken. Realizing speech was near impossible without emptying the contents of her mouth over the little green demon, she chewed quickly and swallowed. Sighing contentedly she grinned at Jaken._

_"Why, no Master Jaken," she answered happily._

_"Don't you like other human food?"_

_Rin giggled, "Of course! I like squash and rice and dill and fish!"_

_"Silly girl!" Jaken muttered before walking away._

_She didn't even seem to notice his dismissal as she started to fall back on the ground with her hands clamped on her stomach. It was her signature statement of being full. However, this time when she leaned back to let gravity bring her down she did not land among the long blades of soft grass but instead her head landed directly on Sesshomaru's lap._

_"Oh!" _

_Sesshomaru looked down at her surprised expression with a single raised eyebrow which quickly turned her shocked face into girlish giggling. The rumbling of her body's levity sent small vibrations up his leg. He pondered the sensation of her mirth transcending to his flesh and he found it was not a disagreeable circumstance, but rather curious._

_"What do you find funny, Rin?" He asked blandly._

_Rin quickly sat up and grinned. "I was so satisfied from my meal I hadn't realized you were behind me. Forgive me, My Lord."_

_Sesshomaru's eyebrow lowered slightly then he returned to looking at the sky in silence. She knew very well he had been sitting behind her, but yet she felt compelled to try to be near him. He heard the rustle of her kimono and smelled the faint scent of crushed grass blades as she let herself fall back down on the ground. With a stealthy glance out of the corner of his eye he watched as she tried to ponder the wonderment of what he was constantly looking at in the world above. When he averted his gaze again he could feel her soft stare. What is it that continues to fascinate her so? He wondered casually. _

_Xxxxxxx_

Time continued to pass by, yet he still stood there staring at the food when the soft rays of sunlight started filtering through the windows, he blinked mildly surprised. The light glinted off the various metal pots and the dangling fish spread shadows over the mushrooms. Dawn's light always seemed to heighten the senses. All scents seem headier and objects appeared sharp and bright. For a moment he could imagine how the light would have reflected in her dark hair, a shimmering cascade of four shades of russets and brunettes converged into a flowing mass framing a jubilant smile and bright eyes that held every hope in this world for all things right and good. She would be washing various vegetables while a soft hum from her lips filled the room. A tension that he had been holding in his body started to melt away. _Strange how these thoughts somehow soothe me_, Sesshomaru mused.

Xxxxxxx

_The flames licked the night air with little crackling groans_. _Ah-Un lay nearby guarding over the small clearing. The Demon Lord stood behind her in silence watching her stoke the fire. Rin had her knees gathered to her chest with her head laying on her left arm her dark hair a cloak around her shoulders. She had not noticed his presence and was quietly humming to herself. The sound was not unpleasant to his ears even though it could be heard for quite the distance by demons. Sesshomaru had followed the sound many times with her scent to ascertain her location when coming to fetch her._

_"Rin."_

_"Huh?" Her head perked up at his voice and she jumped to her feet a huge smile across her face. "Welcome back, my Lord!"_

_Sesshomaru looked at her happy face blankly. _

_"Why do you always hum that tune?"_

_If it was even possible, her smile widened even more. _

_"Rin."_

_She nibbled on her lip slightly and answered only by smiling._

_"You don't have to tell me." He started to turn away and took a single step._

_"I know it will sound silly, but when I hum that song I feel it will bring you back to me all the sooner, my Lord."_

_Sesshomaru paused and turned his head to the side to look back at her. The image he had seen just mere moments before seemed altered as the clouds unveiled the moon above and its pale light trickled down, illuminating her face with a diaphanous radiance. Her dark eyes glittered with such a deep felt joyance that he felt lost in her gaze. Why have I always returned to her? What is this light she holds over me that can be seen but not touched? Mentally shaking his mind of these pointless thoughts he refocused his vision and the temporary illusion disappeared as the clouds once again shadowed night's lantern. Rin blinked at him tilting her head to the side. He was about to tell her not to be foolish, but instead he continued to walk away. _

_"Come, Rin. We are leaving."_

_"Yes, my Lord," She answered jovially and sprinted forward to walk by his side. Ah-Un quietly trampled out the fire and followed his masters._

Xxxxxxx

The morning passed without incident and still she did not exit her room. By noon, Sesshomaru had enough of her quarantine. _I will not be avoided, by this slip of a woman. _He placed some of the food she had gathered on one of the fronds and carried it to her room. _First she will eat and second, she will promptly return to normal,_ he affirmed, surely if he thought the command it would be done without question. Sliding the door open with his foot, he prepared himself for whatever sight may have greeted him. So he thought.

Her room was empty.

* * *

**_...Chapter 11...awakens soon..._**


	11. Chapter 11

_The moments between the "x's" are flashbacks._

_I hope you enjoy. Thank you for taking the time to read this and my double thanks for your reviews. -Druidica_

* * *

Sesshomaru fought against the fleeting feeling of alarm and instead tried to locate her scent within the manor. His eyebrows knitted together. Nothing. _I cannot smell her, but she could not have left the grounds without my knowledge_, he rationalized. The mark was not burning or aching so he knew she was not in any mortal danger, yet he found her absence disconcerting. _Why did I not notice her movement?_ He paused and listened closely to the sounds around him. It was a trying endeavor to weed out all of the sounds that flooded his ears on a daily basis. Three crickets were hiding in this room along with a family of mice running underneath the floorboards in the manor. Five nests of sparrows twittered in the trees outside her rooms and then there was a light scraping coming from the other side of the manor. 

His eyes widened. The faint sound was curiously enough mixed with the gentle splashing of water. Sesshomaru strode purposefully towards the room that held the second spring. Anger was welling within him as he pondered the sight that would lie beyond the thin screen. He opened the door panel slowly with his foot as he realized he still carried her food. The sweet smell of fresh water was almost enough to cover the slight tint of blood. Eyebrows lowered over narrowed eyes as he glowered at the arrogant woman in front of him. Rin did not immediately notice him as she scrubbed her body raw with a stone.

He stepped inside the room and closed the door causing a yelp from Rin whose eyes rounded in surprise. Conscious of her nudity, she attempted to hide her bosom from his piercing eyes with one arm clutched to her chest. _Your actions are wasted_, he thought vehemently. They said not a word to each other, but cautiously gauged the other's moods. A muscle ticked in Sesshomaru's jaw as his eyes zoned in on the new scratches on her arms, which he knew he had not placed there the night before. Rin's eyes fell to the food in his hands and her stomach grumbled under the water.

Sesshomaru slowly set the food on the table then walked over to the edge closest to Rin, his eyes never leaving hers. She stared at him in confusion as he pried the stone from her hand and hurled it back into the water. Snatching the stunned woman's wrist, he wrenched her out of the spring forcing her onto her feet. Golden eyes pierced her like red-hot pokers.

"You have disobeyed me in this matter for the last time," he stated flatly, "I will not have you damaging what is mine."

Rin said not one word, but looked at her Lord with growing curiosity. Sesshomaru wanted her to lash out, scream, anything to show that she felt his wrath, but he felt none of that from her. Unnerved, by her lack of reaction he released her wrist and walked towards the partition, sliding it open. He paused and turned his head slightly his eyes looking out the corners at her.

"You will bring the food and join me in the kitchens."

Blinking, her eyes fell to the food again, causing another rumble to echo in the room.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru shut the door and walked silently down the hallway, seething_. Imprudent female! __Does she truly think a mere stone could eradicate her of my scent?_ He reached the kitchens and glared at everything in the room with disgust. Inside he wanted to destroy all the paraphernalia that reminded him of Rin's human state. Knowing the action would prove moot he resisted the temptation, but inwardly, he snarled. Leaning against one of the walls, he impatiently awaited his mate's arrival. _She will learn that I will not be ignored_. His eyes lowered in consternation over this thought. Upon making his decision to return home, it was all for the purpose of avoiding Rin. _What has changed inside me?_

Then he felt it, a faint tingling stirring within himself. Desire. He tried to squelch the feeling as he had successfully done the day before, but it laughed at his attempts and grew. _I will not be a prisoner to these cravings!_ He yelled at his body. Sesshomaru's mind went back to a few minutes ago when he hauled her naked body out of the water. Rin's heartbeat had quickened and her chest heaved in surprise at his actions. He had not realized it in his anger, but his eyes had traveled her body. The memory of how the water dripped down her pale skin, made his loins tighten. The way her nipples hardened in the cool air, made his blood quicken. The slight blushes that bronzed her cheeks at his nearness, made his body burn.

He wanted her.

"Stop," He stated aloud.

"My Lord?"

He glanced up and saw that Rin was about to cross the threshold into the kitchens when he had spoken aloud. Her hair fell in wet tendrils around her pale face. He followed their lengths to the ends of her hair where they dropped small teardrops of water onto her pale blue kimono causing the fabric to cling to every crevice of her body. In her hands, she bore the frond with the food he had brought her. Some of the mushrooms were already missing. It almost amused him. Patience was a virtue that only suited her half the time. A trait they both had in common. Sesshomaru searched her eyes looking for confirmation that this was indeed the absence he had felt the day prior, but in his quest of discovery, he found something missing. Rin was standing before him, but there was no warmth or eager delight in being in his company. There was no haphazard bouquet of flowers and no brilliant smile to greet him. For the first time he felt unwanted by her. _What have I done to you?_

"Enter, Rin. I will observe you to make sure you eat."

She kept her eyes locked with his as she approached the counter at the center of the kitchen. He watched as she set the palm frond down and picked up one of the mushrooms in her hand. With deft precision, she snapped the stem from the cap and brought it to her mouth. Her fingers brushed over her lips as she placed the tender morsel into her mouth and chewed silently. The movement of her lips and the blooming feeling of fulfillment that he sensed coming from her as she ate fascinated him. She tore some flesh off the fish and stuffed it gently in the cap. Casually, she reached for some herbs that were on the table and sprinkled a bit over the top. Satisfied with her handy work she popped the cap in her mouth and chewed with a small smile on her face. All of these actions were automatic and habitual for her, but he could not pry his eyes away from it. _What is this happiness she can feel over such small things?_

_Until yesterday morning I too, could bring her this simple joy, _his mind interjected. Sesshomaru ignored the thought though the truth of it disturbed him greatly.

Pushing to his feet from where he was leaning, he gradually approached her. Though she continued with her work, he could sense her body tensing at his approach. Just mere moments before this had been the reaction he wanted to elicit from her. Now, Sesshomaru found he did not like this response, but he understood it was her uncertainty of his actions that caused her to be wary. _You rejected her_, he reminded himself. _Rin will not easily forgive me as she once had._

Xxxxxxxx

_Rin sat with her arms crossed over chest and her face scrunched up in annoyance. She had this look for the past hour and Sesshomaru did not bother to ask why. Humans are fickle creatures, he advised himself staring at the flames of the fire. _

_She sighed with a loud, "Humph!" _

_The green imp glared at the mortal girl his patience at an end. Jumping to his feet Jaken walked over to her and poked her knee with his staff. "What is wrong with you, girl? Your mood is going to anger Lord Sesshomaru!"_

_Rin's eyes sparked with anger and she smacked the staff away, the force knocking the small demon onto his rump. As aggrandizing as possible she stood up to her full four feet with her hands on her hips. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were pressed tightly together in anger. "Good!" She exasperated and trumped off into the woods, her impertinent nose in the air._

_Jaken shook his staff in her direction and yelled at her. "You get back here, you insolent girl and apologize to Lord Sesshomaru at once!" _

_"Silence, Jaken."_

_The green imp closed his mouth and looked at his master. Sesshomaru continued to stare at the fire a few moments before standing up and turning towards the wood. Curious, he thought. I have never seen her act this way towards me before._

_"My Lord, are you going after that wretched girl?" The imp seemed shocked._

_He did not answer._

_"Watch over the camp, Jaken."_

_Sesshomaru followed Rin's scent to a small clearing. There she sat with her knees to her chest and her head propped on her elbows. Silent tears ran down her cheeks and rapid sobs shook her shoulders. He did not understand what had caused this change in the human girl, but he most definitely did not approve of this altered temperament in exchange for the usually content mortal. Normally, he would have ignored her outbursts and stood over her indifferently, but something obliged him to sit across from her and speak to her at her small level, something he had done with no one. Later, he would chastise himself for this momentary lapse, but not until he had answers._

"_What have I done to aggrieve you, Rin?"_

_She wiped her face on the sleeve of her kimono and looked away from his stare trying to act as if nothing was wrong. His eyebrow lifted slightly at this action recognizing the expression as being closely similar to his own. She is trying to ignore me. He felt a twinge at the corner of his mouth. She has learned this from me, he thought surprised to find it was slightly amusing. _

_"Will you not tell me?" He inquired blandly._

_She sniffed then looked at him with wide sad eyes. "My Lord truly has forgotten then?"_

_His eyes widened slightly and he scanned his memory for what ever he should have remembered, but admittedly, he was at a loss. Rin looked at him expectantly, hoping to see some recognition come to his eyes, but there was none. She sighed and looked away again._

_"Thirteen full moons have passed."_

_The memory dawned on him. Rin had commented once that since she did not remember when her real birth date was that she would consider the day he had resurrected her as her day of celebration. Thinking the comment not noteworthy and a human concern, he had forgotten the moment. He had heard once it was human custom to give gifts on this day to recognize the passing of a year. Since demons were immortal such practices held no value, but Sesshomaru saw that this child held it with great importance and expected him to as well. Arrogant girl to try to make demands of me, he thought annoyed._

_He heard her sobbing again and surprisingly his anger bled out onto the ground. This will not do, he affirmed. He stood and looked out into the woods, his decision made._

_"Return to camp, Rin."_

_She sniffed back a sob and stood up quietly. Obeying his request, she returned to camp and fell asleep in a pool of tears on her pallet. The next morning she woke up and found a new kimono with a small bunch of flowers on top lying next to her. She blinked her eyes thinking she was still sleeping, but when her eyes reopened, the items were still there. Rin sat up quickly with a huge smile on her face. Her head swiveled around in a rush trying to locate her Lord. He was standing in the distance looking out over a hill. Jumping to her feet, she stampeded over to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his leg._

_Sesshomaru looked down in surprise at the girl clinging to his limb. No one had ever shown him such physical affection, let alone dare touch him so intimately. Despite this, he did not extricate her but stared at her inquisitively. He could sense her abundant happiness, yet he smelled tears. Truly humans are conflicting creatures, he mused. She met his gaze and quickly let go of his leg._

_"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru!"_

_He glanced at her then turned back to the path ahead._

_"Gather your things, Rin. We are leaving."_

_"Yes, my Lord."_

_In the back of his mind, he silently counted the cycles of the moon from then on. He could not allow for such trivial matters as mood swings to interfere with his quest. He also reminded himself every year since then that the girl's tears had nothing to do with his choice._

xxxxxxx

She was bringing the fish filled cap to her mouth when Sesshomaru's hand gently grasped hers. She paused and slowly tilted her head to look up at him. Their eyes met. Golden eyes linked with dark almond orbs in silent question. The demon though, could wait for the answer. Taking the food from her hand, he looked at it momentarily then slowly brought it to her mouth. The morsel rubbed up against her bottom lip and he patiently waited for entry. For a moment, he thought she would reject him. However, Rin's lips gradually parted and he gently placed the mushroom on her tongue. He felt a longing to toss the scrap of food aside and cover her mouth with his own, but he fought the demon within him and continued with his task. After releasing the bit of food, her mouth closed around his fingers and her soft, pliant lips caressed his skin as he slowly retracted them.

His blood pooled.

Though he raged a war with his body, he continued to feed her with his own hand. The actions were mundane, but they held interest for him. With his own hands, he was sustaining her life. Languidly, unhurriedly he prepared each bite and fed her. The ache in his loins increased. He yearned to take this slight of a woman on the very table, but he suppressed his instincts and teased himself with this simple human task. _Soon, I will have you, _he affirmed. Sesshomaru was about to feed her another morsel when Rin shook her head silently. His eyebrow lowered at the decline and he found his discontentment at being denied unsettling, but she touched his hand and then pointed at the reed container on the table that held water. Understanding, her desires, he opened the container and was about to allow her to drink from it when an idea occurred to him.

Sesshomaru brought the water to his lips and filled his mouth with the cool liquid. He did not swallow, but instead leaned Rin's head back with his hand and commanded her mouth to open with his eyes. Rin's eyes widened at first in confusion, but then her gaze fell to his mouth. Her lips parted and he lowered his mouth to hers. He trickled the water into her mouth and she drank of him. It was taking every bit of his willpower to wait for her to drink. When she finally consumed the water, he covered her open mouth with his and kissed her. He traced the outline of her lips with the tip of his tongue. Her rich flavor intoxicated him and dipped his tongue into her mouth. Rin did not pull back, nor did she give in, instead she allowed him to taste her and just soaked in his touch. His hand gently massaged the back of her head, trying to coax her arousal to spring forth, but it was denied to him.

He slowly pulled back and looked in her eyes. Sesshomaru could smell the faint traces of her desire, but it was not the consuming one they had shared the previous night. It left him strangely empty. Straightening, he took one last look at Rin then exited the kitchens. Though he could feel her eyes watching him with concern, he could not look back. His mate no longer desired him. _This is what I wanted_, he thought, but it sounded more like a question now.

_...So, the great Lord Sesshomaru has been brought to his knees by a human…_

Sesshomaru stopped in the middle of the hallway, his hand balling into a fist and a sudden anger consuming him. His demon blood began howling and he turned his head to glare back at the kitchen, his eyes burning red. _This will not do, Rin_. He fumed. _You are my mate and you will feel my desire as your own. I will not bend to a nature that is not my own, nor will I apologize for who I am. You are mine and I will conquer you._

In the back of his mind, he had a slight memory of him being the one who had rejected her, but it was forgotten. He never claimed to be fair in his dealings with others. This woman tried his patience and she would know it. The corner of his mouth lifted in an evil leer. He continued down the hall to his suite and plotted the exact dance he would use to capture his prey. _She will learn that it is my desires that will govern this mating,_ he mused with growing confidence_. I will never be denied and soon she will be begging at my feet_. Upon entering his room, he leaned against the paneling patiently waiting by the door panel for the scent of wildflowers to pass by.

The hunt had begun.

* * *

**_...Chapter 12...only comes when it hears your calls..._**


	12. Chapter 12

_The moments inbetween "x's" are flashbacks._

_I hope you enjoy. Thank you for taking the time to read this and double thanks for your reviews. -Druidica_

* * *

Xxxxxxx

His face hit the ground and slid along the hard packed earth for many yards. The pain exploded in his head and he could taste the metallic flavor of his blood leaking over his tongue as his fangs cracked together with the impact, searing his lips. Sesshomaru's shoulder burned at the joint and he knew his arm was pulled out of its junction. Though his first instinct was to groan and lay there like a dead heap, his pride would not let him. I must not let him see me this weak, his mind mumbled feebly. Pushing up with his other arm, he tried to slide his knees under him so he could sit up. A wave dizziness and nausea assailed his senses and he tumbled back onto the ground.

The day was bright and warm, but a cold shadow covered his rumpled body sending slight tremors along his nerve endings. I can feel his eyes looking at me with disappointment. Once again I failed to disarm you, Father. The young demon mustered every scrap of energy left in his broken body, willing his mind to push back the pain that thrummed through his entire form. Tucking his knees into his chest, Sesshomaru again struggled into an upright position. He swallowed back the bile that rose to the back of his throat from the dizziness that flooded his senses, and with pained determination stood shakily to his feet. The world was spinning. Pinching his eyes tight, he slowly reopened them and tried to focus on a single object, his common sword lying on the ground. Wiping the grime off his face with the back of his hand, Sesshomaru spat the blood in his mouth onto the ground and faced the Great Demon Lord of the West.

Steely golden eyes met his stare with cold indifference. His father's face was indiscernible a blank piece of parchment that refused to be inked with any emotion. Still his glare could tuck his tail between his legs and have him running scared to his room. Inu Taisho held Tetsusaiga at his side, a great fang of destruction that had tasted his blood on more than one occasion. Each drop was a reminder of his inferiority to his father's great skill and power. One day, I will surpass you father and it will be I who looks down my nose at you. Leaning towards the ground, Sesshomaru picked up his sword with great effort and held it aloft preparing to take up the defensive once again, while his left arm hung useless at his side. His body burned and yelled out in objection at continuing, but he would not back down. Tensing his muscles he waited for the first strike.

It never came.

The Great Dog Demon turned away from his determined child and walked silently over to a boulder that rested under a large tree. Sheathing the sword at his side, the demon sat casually on the large stone and breathed in the fresh mountain air. His son's skills were improving and the thought brought a small amount of comfort to him. It appears that he learns more from the tutors I hire then from me. A touch of sadness raked across his mind at the realization. How did these walls come between us, my son? Your mother would have understood you better, I fear. Shaking off the tension of the sparring, his shoulders visibly slackened and he gauged his son from a distance. He's so proud, he mused. One day I fear it will be the cause of his downfall. His mouth slanted grimly at the thought. There is so much you do not know and so much I am supposed to tell you, but the words fail me. Despite his thoughts, his son stared at his father blankly.

"Come here, my son. Rest against the tree."

"I do not require any reprieve, Father."

Inu Taisho's eyes sparked mildly at his son's defiance.

"You will do as I say, pup!"

Sesshomaru could not hide the momentary sneer that graced his lips as he trudged over to his father's location. Just before he slumped under the tree, his father grasped his left arm and shoved it back into his shoulder. His eyes were blinded by the sharp flash of pain that radiated from his shoulder. A thousand pins pricked along his muscles in a silent staccato concerto of agony up his neck, down his back and out through his fingertips. Falling to his knees he grasped his shoulder with his hand and used all of his will power not to scream as he doubled over in excruciating pain. Inu Taisho could do nothing but bear witness to his son's misery, a torture for any parent.

"Breathe, my son. The pain will pass momentarily."

Sesshomaru had not realized that in trying to block out the pain he had stopped taking in air. He opened his mouth and sucked in the life giving wind into his lungs. The air felt harsh and bitterly cold in his chest, but after a few slow breaths the pain began to recede. His body still felt sore and battered, but at least he his left arm felt functional again. Why do I always appear powerless in his presence? Pocketing away his lapse of resilience with growing bitterness, he leaned up against the tree and stared up at his father.

The great demon was gazing down at his son and there was a touch of softness in the man's eyes, but Sesshomaru blinked and it was gone. It must be the pain. It's making me see things that would never come to pass. Closing his eyes he willed his mind to be silent and stop the constant hammering in his skull. In all of his training exercises he had always excelled, even disarming his tutor on several occasions. Yet, whenever his father deemed it a worthy time to test his skills, he could never stay on his feet more than five minutes. He must see me as a disgrace to his bloodline.

"I did not come out here to spar with you, my son."

Sesshomaru paused then opened his eyes to look up at his father, blinking his eyes against the bright backdrop behind the Great Dog Demon. The sun blazed in the sky partially concealing his father's features in a blinding light, but he could still see the strong profile that could not be obstructed by the sun's meager rays. This was the infallible monument that the unfledged Inu longed to surpass, an idol that even the heavens could not shadow.

"Then why seek me out, Father?"

"My servant sought me out to advise me of your recent queries regarding the 'Hunt.'"

The young demon looked away his eyes narrowed in consternation, a slight blush suffusing his face.

"Myoga speaks too much."

His father laughed, causing the youth to cringe inwardly in mortification.

"You were foolish, my son, to think your life was so private. Whether you choose to avoid me or not as your father I know what goes on in your life. There are few secrets a child can keep from their parents, despite youth's arrogance to think otherwise. You forget I was once a young demon as yourself. I asked the same questions as you do now." The Great Demon turned his head to look at his son. His golden eyes glinted in the corners and there in their unfathomable depths resided the deep rooted disappointment. It was a look Sesshomaru loathed every time he saw it, as it meant that once again he was a failure in his father's eyes. "You should have come to me with your queries, my son."

Silence was the only response Sesshomaru gave his father. He did not feel the need to explain his actions or his reasons for avoiding his parent. I will kill the flea for betraying my confidences to my father.

"You will not harm him, my son." His father spoke in finality and Sesshomaru blinked in mild surprise at his father's astuteness. "Myoga follows my orders as he should. So, ask your questions my son, because you will find answers nowhere else in the manor."

"It is of no importance, Father. The hunt no longer holds interest for me."

Spots flared in front of his eyes as the Great Dog Demon's clawed hand buffeted the back of his son's head. The youngling gave a small yelp and grabbed the back of his skull to try and still the rattling.

"Insolent whelp! You are a descendent of one the greatest blood lines among demons; do not disgrace yourself with spouting pointless lies! I grow weary of your arrogance and your feigned disinterest. Now ask me your damnable questions!"

Sesshomaru clenched his fangs, and bit back the scathing retort he would have loved to lash out at his sire. His hands gripped the insides of his torn kimono and he could feel the toxic poison from his claws leaking onto the fabric, burning it away. Bringing his arms closer to his chest so not to make them obvious to his father, he gritted out the question he now detested, "What is the 'hunt', Father?"

The great dog demon relaxed and settled himself back on the boulder. I know that was not easy for you, my son. It was not easy when my father trained me either. A small smile lifted the corners of Inu Taisho's mouth and reached within his haori and pulled out a small scroll. Holding it gently between his clawed fingers he stared at it thoughtfully for a moment. My son is maturing faster than I could have imagined. Wasn't it just yesterday he took his first step?

The young demon thought he heard a sigh escape his father's lips, but it was too absurd to think his father was sentimental over anything other than the honor of their bloodline. His father's hand extended out and offered the scroll to him. Cautiously, he took the proffered parchment and glanced up at his sire in question. The great Inu's eyes closed.

"The hunt," He began quietly. "Is a sacred pact between the world around them and a demon's very blood. It is not a trivial matter or something to be entered into with great haste. Once initiated within you, you will be bound to complete the hunt or it will haunt you the rest of your days. For an immortal, that can be a very long torment."

Sesshomaru felt a tickle in the back of his mind that pleasantly traveled down his spine. This sensation had first assailed him when he caught part of a conversation between a few of his father's men, but they had been vague in their details. Still, since then, part of him knew that what he was about to learn would be vital in the future, though he did not know why.

"What is the prey that I would hunt?" Sesshomaru asked, his curiosity piqued.

His father chuckled again. You are my son, he thought amused.

"It could be one of many things, my son. It could be as simple as the quest to avenge a comrade or as complex as pursuing a mate. Whatever it is, it will invoke within you a thirst that cannot be quenched by any liquid, but only sated with the completion of the task. Trust your deepest instincts, my son. If it is in your fates to take on the hunt, then you will know without any question or doubt."

The great demon patted his son's shoulder and stood.

"Read the scroll. It will tell you what you desire to know. Along with," Inu Taisho paused. "Other things."

Sesshomaru stared at the gold encrusted handles of the scroll that were embossed with intricate patterns and designs that seem to have no beginning and no end. A flood of images flashed across his mind of places and people he had never seen or met. I do not wish to see such things, his mind yelled out. The young demon blinked willing the sights out of his mind. A waking dream, he thought. This was not the first time he had one, but he assured himself that the frequency was not enough to warrant concern. Already the pictures are fading, he mused.

Leaning comfortably against the tree trunk, the young demon read the arcane scroll.

Xxxxxxxx

Sesshomaru traced the mating mark with his claw. _This mark binds our emotions and our flesh as one, Rin. You cannot escape me._ Summoning every tingling trace of desire boiling through his veins he concentrated it in his mind into a molten mass of pure demonic lust. Focusing on the mark, he allowed his mind to recall the memories of their first night together. Though the events had seemed hazy that morning when he first woke, they now flowed easily and vividly into his mind.

Even in her innocence she had been very brazen.

Xxxxxxx

His young mate had an insatiable appetite. Lying on his stomach spent from their last joining, Rin wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. Closing his eyes he breathed in her scent of wildflowers laced with his own spicy mix of deep forest woods and pure masculine virility. Silky tresses rained down on his flesh causing every nerve on his body to spring to life with burning passion yet soothing him like a warm night breeze lulling him to surrender to this woman's wanton charms.

Delicate tapered fingers slid over his abdomen, her nails teasing his flesh with the barest of touches. His muscles contracted slightly with each pass sending slight shivers down his legs. Every one of his senses was in overload, completely open and sensitive to every brush of flesh and escalated beat of heart. Her lower lip lightly skimmed over his skin, a teasing caress that left him wanting for her even though she was right there with him. She did not kiss his flesh, but rather traced the expanse of his back with her soft lips, a tantalizing path of unforeseen pleasure.

Sultrily, yet subtly, Rin teased and tasted his flesh in slow motion. In some moments only her lips would graze his back, while in other moments the tip of her tongue would lick a small line along his spine where it would end with the slight pressure of her fangs drawing on his skin. She did not seem to miss even the smallest patch of his skin in her quest to devour him whole. Every contour was precious to her as she passed her downy lips over his body. Sometimes she would glide her bare body along his flesh till her breath wafted over his cheek. There she outlined the points of his ears with her tongue. She had done this numerous times throughout the night and it always procured an appreciative little growl from deep within his chest.

He searched his senses for what hidden thoughts might lay inside this vibrant woman's mind. Arousal was abundant of this he needed no extrasensory perception to deduce, but there was something more, a hidden layer beyond the obvious that was evoking these feelings of duality with her loving actions. Sesshomaru scanned his mind for the right word, an emotion he was certain he had never felt in his long lifetime towards his being. With all my strength and power this frail woman makes me feel like I am in the safest place in the Western Lands. Slowly, his eyelids opened and in his inebriated haze a lucid moment stretched out before him as the elusive word was discovered.

Cherish.

She's cherishing me.

Xxxxxxx

Her scent reached him at the same time the mark on his shoulder flared with her intense desire. A small smile curved his lips for the briefest of moments before returning to his normal inscrutable repose. Sliding open the panel, he stood tall and lowered his eyes to Rin. Her heartbeat was thunderous and her eyes were glazed over from the onslaught of passion he had pushed onto her. Sesshomaru noticed the subtle changes of her body's transformation and he raised his clawed hand to her face. With careful precision he swept his claw along her jaw lineand around the outside edge of her now slightly pointed ears.

Rin's eyes fluttered close at the contact, her breath caught in her chest. Her body temperature elevated dramatically and the sweet aroma of her arousal caressed his senses. He was addicted to her scent, and suddenly he wanted to be saturated in it. Sesshomaru's gaze focused on her pouting lips. In a fell swoop, his hand cupped the back of her head and his mouth crashed onto hers. Her lips instantly parted and he delved his tongue into her sweet mouth. Unlike the last time, Rin responded immediately matching him in his fierce dance.

Breaking away from her sweet mouth with a low growl he trailed burning kisses along her jaw and down her throat. Rin's arms clasped his shoulders in a fierce grip and her breath rasped in his ear. His blood roared through his veins and he almost missed the mumbled words she spoke. The syllables trickled slowly into his ears and pierced through the clouds of desire to the front of his mind. He felt their sting with more force than if her hand had slapped his face.

"Have I served my purpose now, my Lord?"

* * *

**_...Chapter 13...it's there...your fingertips can almost touch it...cry out if you want it..._**


	13. Chapter 13

_The moments between the "x's" are flashbacks._

_I hope you enjoy. Thank you for reading this and my double thanks for your reviews.-Druidica_

* * *

In life's timeline, he only froze for a moment at the icy retort that lanced him to his core, but sometimes a single moment can be all a great demon needs to form an epiphany in the game he was playing. Pain was her intention and pain was indeed the first thing he felt at hearing her words, but an even more unpredicted emotion bloomed at the mortal woman's audacity. Amusement. _She thinks she can use my words against me._ He mused. _This cheeky woman will know that I too can play games when it suits me, and I play to win._ Sesshomaru nuzzled her neck; with great deliberation and gentleness, he licked the mark on her shoulder. Rin stiffened slightly in his embrace and he secretly smiled against her skin. He let his hand slide down the back of her damp kimono and he pulled her against his body. She gasped at the intimate contact.

Sesshomaru slowly grazed his lips over her cheek and hovered over her pouting mouth. There was nary a space between them, but still their lips did not touch. He could feel the slight trembling in her body. His senses knew she was trying to fight against her natural desires and the suppressed hurt she still held over the other day. For a moment, he wished he could erase that moment from her mind, but the thirst of his quest was too great now to worry over an unchangeable memory. A golden stare met hers, it was certainly a trick of a light, but the human girl swore there was a twinge of mischief lying in their depths that she could not quite understand.

"Do you want your purpose to be over, my Lady?"

Her eyes widened to their full capacity and he could sense the shock spreading throughout her entire body. _I see, _he thought. _That was not the reaction you expected from me. I wonder what else you did not expect from me. _Nimble fingers slid further down her back to her small buttocks and he pressed her more intimately against his outward arousal and flexed against her. Rin inhaled sharply and tried to push against his chest, but Sesshomaru did not intend to let her runaway just yet. Before she could even blink, the demon lord had her pinned to the wall, his heated flesh scorching her body through the irriguous fabric.

"Do you want me," He paused as her scent spiked and he inhaled the luscious aroma, "to let you go?"

The words had struck the mark. Inwardly, he smirked at the slight fear that coursed through her body at his last question. _Where is your temerity now, Rin? Will you lie to me to save your anger? _He continued to tease her lips with flitting passes. At first she tried to move her head away, but his taunting mouth followed her every move and his liquid eyes lazily gazed at her daring her to deny what he knew was burning inside her. Sesshomaru was so engrossed in his trial of conquest he did not notice the wavering of her scent.

"Do you?"

Soft almond eyes lined with a shimmering pool of salty unshed tears pleaded with him in silent question. He froze. _What has happened? _Holding her against the wall with his body, he reached up to her face and pressed the back of his index finger to the liquid about to spill over onto her flushed face. The tears leaked onto his skin, a small warm flood of her tangible fear. _Am I the cause of this? _The drops slid down his finger and collected in a tiny drop at the end of his claw. His eyes lingered on the single bead of torment; something in this moment seemed very familiar to him.

…_Do you want us to stop, demon?…_

He could feel the blood draining from his face.

…_Do you?…_

His eyes widened slightly and he scanned his mate's terror-stricken visage. Her lips quivered and salty rivulets were raining down her now pale cheeks. Rin's thoughts played out in his head clear as a day as if she had spoken them aloud. It was her deepest fear that he would one day abandon her and leave her to a human world she no longer recognized as her own. Now, with his own words he had awakened that terrifying trepidation within her. _No, _he thought. _This was not how this was supposed to play out. _

With his hand firmly holding her body, he extracted her from the wall and brought her into his room. Though she did not relax against his body, her arms held onto him tightly. The Demon Lord sensed it was numb fear at the probability of abandonment that forced her to acquiesce to his uncertain actions and questionable motives. _How did this leave the realm of my control? _Sesshomaru realized in this one moment that he truly missed the Rin that adored him all of three days ago, and he wondered if he lost her forever. Gently he placed her on the edge of the mattress and stood away from her looking out the window.

In the distance, he could see the Sakura trees in full blossom.

Xxxxxx

_"Jaken."_

_The green imp slightly cringed. He knew his master would be upset if he found out the mortal girl had wandered off again while he was napping. Foolish girl always running off and leaving me to face my master's wrath, he seethed. Knowing though that Lord Sesshomaru detested having to wait, he hurried over to his master's call. Jaken stopped in his tracks as he gazed up the path. The Demon Lord stood tall on a small hill with his long silvery hair billowing slightly in the breeze. The afternoon sun glinted off his armor and the swords at his side. Jaken shivered at the image before him. Lord Sesshomaru was pillar of strength and authority. Surely, he looks as his father did. My Lord truly is one of the Great Demons._

_"Jaken."_

_"Yes, my Lord."_

_The demon did not bother looking at his servant, but continued to stare straight ahead._

_"Where is Rin?"_

_Jaken tensed as he searched his mind for some explanation that would appease his master, but he knew that if his Lord thought he had been lax in his duties again he would surely be cross. He still did not understand why the great Lord Sesshomaru would allow such an annoying human child accompany them on the their journeys, but even if was still a mystery, if anything happened to Rin the imp knew his life would reach a quick end. The girl had somehow weaved some special place in his master's good graces. Stupid human girl! She is always trying to discredit me in front of Lord Sesshomaru. _

_"Do not make me ask again, Jaken?"_

_The green demon's eyes widened suddenly._

_"I believe she abandoned us, my Lord!"_

_He did not know where the lie came from, but he thought maybe this would be the most opportune time to leave the child with her own kind. She was at a an age when most mortal girls mated, so surely this will be a blessing for her. Excitement filled the little imp at the thought of going back to the old days when there was only Lord Sesshomaru and he traveling the country. Now, we can be free of the little pest, Jaken thought delightedly. Granted, what I said is not exactly true, but she did leave without saying a word. If we leave quickly, the insolent girl will not be able to find us. Surely, Lord Sesshomaru will see the fortuitous nature of this plight. Jaken timidly glanced up at his master's face to see if his mental assessment accurately described the current situation. _

_The green imp gulped. _

_Finely sculpted black eyebrows arched dangerously low across narrowed eyes. Sesshomaru's hand gripped his sword's hilt menacingly and Jaken knew he was no longer destined to live in this world. Closing his eyes, he waited for his impending doom. _

_"Lord Sesshomaru!"_

_The Demon Lord lifted his gaze to the sixteen-year-old Rin who bounded happily towards him. Releasing the hilt of his sword, he stepped on the impudent green demon and walked casually towards the mortal girl. She ran up the hill her cheeks slightly reddened from her exertion and a happy smile on her face. Her hair was inundated in pink flowers and in her hand, she held out a small Sakura branch laden with bright blossoms. With great exuberance, she handed him the branch, as if she was handing him the most valuable treasure in the land._

_"Look my Lord, they are in bloom again. Are they not beautiful?"_

_To anyone else's perspective it was truly the branch he was staring at and if any were to even question the validity of that perception they would find no other conclusions. However, Sesshomaru never held the local flora and fauna in as high regard as the mortal woman-child in front of him. He would never admit it, but his eyes were not looking at the Sakura's bright petals. The Great Demon Lord of the West's golden gaze was looking past them._

_"Jaken."_

_"Yes, my Lord?" The small imp croaked from the ground._

_"You are worthless in your task."_

_xxxxxx _

_Have I truly lost you, Rin?_

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

He glanced out of the side of his eyes to look at the woman sitting on his bed. Her head was bowed and her hands fretted nervously with the sash of her kimono. This shyness was a stark contrast to the last time she adorned a place in his room. He briefly recalled how her bare skin once laid out on his sheets completely jovial and entirely his. _How is it that now I am the one vying for her affections, yet treating her like my enemy? _Slowly she raised her head to face him. Her tears had subsided even though her eyes were still pink from crying. Sesshomaru felt an overwhelming need to want to soothe her, but he had no knowledge and no experience on how to erase pain. _How can I assuage my mate when I was the one who inflicted the damage?_

"Yes, Rin?"

"I have made a decision."

* * *

**..._Chapter 14...the answer comes...but only if you ask for it..._**


	14. Chapter 14

_The moments between the "x's" are flashbacks._

_I hope you enjoy. Thank you for reading and this and double thanks for your reviews. - Druidica_

_

* * *

_

Aurulent eyes widened at her strange statement, for his question was mere rhetoric and he had no inclination that an answer would actually be forthcoming. Now that there was one he knew there could be only two answers, she would stay or she would leave. One of which he had always presumed would be certain unless it was his will to change it. The other, he could not even fathom occurring. _Would I stop her if she chose to leave?_ Rin risked a glance at the Demon Lord and chewed on her bottom lip, her heartbeat rapidly increasing. Taking a step towards her, he gauged this new development with intrigue. He could sense there was no more fight within her mind. She had made her choice and now this timorous woman awaited his inquiry into her decision.

Sesshomaru did not ask, he instead pressed the weight of his stare onto her shivering frame waiting for the words that held the power to alter his life forever. The silence stretched out before them like a great rift. Rin's glistening gaze did not waiver from his, and though he wished he could read the thoughts that loomed in the depths of her eyes, he could not decipher her mind. The sound of her slight intake of breath was thunderous to his ears, and he steeled himself for her declaration.

"My Lord, I cannot presume to know anything of your yesterdays as I have never pried into your past. My queries have always been about today, but before I speak my answer I would ask you something."

Her voice, though small, was very clear, and his eyes slightly widened. Sesshomaru felt a cold hand clenching his insides. _The day has come,_ his mind warned him. She could say nothing and he would know what dormant truth she expected of him. He wished he could be ignorant. He wished that the words that were about to tumble from her soft lips would be a complete and utter surprise. Above all, he wished that his answer could be summed into calling her foolish and walking away. However, most wishes never come to fruition, as they are a still-birthed desire conceived by futile desperation.

"When I died, I was running through the woods trying to get to you. In my mind, I saw you in the distance, and though I could not speak, I was crying out for you to save me. We had shared only a few moments and a scarce amount of words, but I felt safe in your presence. Something I had not felt since my family had been slain." Rin lowered her eyes to her lap and took a shuddering breath. "I tripped and fell to earth, and their claws were tearing at my flesh before I could recover my footing to reach you."

Sesshomaru had never asked her about that day, and even if she had told him what she had experienced, he would not have felt the sting of her memories as greatly as he felt it now in her presence. The demon could sense the fear and aching within his mate from retelling her tale, and if he had known what she was to become to him, he would have slain every wolf in the countryside. _How did she develop this distorted image of me, when all others cringe in fear? _The Great Demon Lord had never been anyone's sanctuary. He had been the bane of many creatures' existence, but he had never been a safe haven.

"I can sometimes still feel their fangs piercing my body," Rin fell silent, then met the demon's golden eyes. "Then the darkness overcame me, and my only thought was of you, my Lord. That somehow you would still save me."

Listen. That was all the Demon Lord could do. He could not even block out her voice, as she forced him recall her bloodied corpse and vacuous eyes. Before the mating, he could have withstood the memories, but now the thoughts called out to his demon blood to seek retribution for the infliction done to his mate. The infliction done to himself.

Rin's eyes shifted to look out the window in melancholy reflection, oblivious to her Lord's internal distress. "I asked Jaken once about that day when I awoke from death in your arms." A sad chuckled escaped her body and a wry smile lifted the corners of her mouth. "He told me that you only resurrected me as a test. A trial to learn the peculiarities of the sword you bear."

Sesshomaru stared at her intently as the images of that day flooded his vision. Standing over her small mangled body, he had remembered her carefree face just mere hours before. _She tried to cure me, a human, tried to help a demon. She had so little, yet she gave me all that she had._ His Tenseiga had pulsed at his side and he drew it forth revealing the carrions of the underworld hovering over body, harvesting her soul. _I told myself it was a test. It was what I wanted to believe to be true, but I knew the reason even if I denied it within myself_. He could say it in his mind, but he could not say it aloud. He could see the plea in her eyes, wanting him to contradict what his tactless vassal had revealed to her, but the words failed to form on his tongue.

"At first, the thought saddened me, but then I realized the source of my answers. I looked over at you, my Lord, staring into the night sky, and something inside me told me that Jaken was a blind fool. That day since, I believed that you saved me for some greater reason, that maybe we shared something in common. It was enough to sustain my curiosity, but I wonder if perhaps I had it all wrong and that Master Jaken was right."

He could feel his blood freezing in his veins and hear his heart slowing to a dull beat as the icy dread spread throughout his body. _No,_ his thoughts yelled out. I_ do not want to remember_. Sesshomaru's blank mask was pleading that she stop so that he could bury the memories of his own past into the graveyard at the back of his mind.

_…Do you want we should let you go, you filthy animal?…_

Sesshomaru felt like his chest was constricting. _No one knows_, he thought vehemently. _I never told a living soul_. Rin suddenly looked him square in the eyes and quickly he had to avert his gaze for fear that somehow she could see the images of his past. The true reason behind his first affinity for the girl.

"Now, I would ask you, my Lord. Why did you save me that day?"

He gripped the sill of the window and closed his eyes.

_…Do you want us to stop, demon?…_

"My Lord?".

_..Do you?..._

"Do not ask me this, Rin."

Her eyes rounded at the despondency in his voice. Sesshomaru felt a serene and soothing warmth from the mark on his shoulder, and he slowly opened his eyes to regard the woman before him. Silently, Rin stood up from her Lord's bed and covered the short distance between them, placing her warm hand over his.

"I must know, my Lord, before I can tell you my choice. I must know your truth. I must know the reason why I was summoned out of the darkness."

Sesshomaru had spent the better part of four hundred years trying to forget, only to have this human woman ask the one horrific answer to a ten-year quandary. Her gaze held so much bravery and strength even though it was housed in a frail mortal body, she would face anything to know him. _She does not know what she asks of me. Is it not enough that I brought you back? Does that not tell you everything you need to know?_ The demon's entire existence revolved around trusting no one and now she would ask him to put his faith in her and share in his darkest memories. _As she has always trusted in you_, his demon blood voiced.

The Great Dog Demon of the Western Lands pierced the woman with his tortured gaze.

_…With all my strength and power this frail woman makes me feel like I am in the safest place in the Western Lands…_

Sesshomaru took a small steadying breath and mentally he lowered the wall allowing his past to materialize before his eyes.

_xxxxxxx_

_"Hey, guys. Look at what the cat's dragging in!"_

_A band of scarred and slovenly Samurais joined their unkempt comrade to ogle at the pale haired boy walking along the path. The stench of alcohol and blood reeked off their unwashed bodies and made the child's nose twitch at the retched odor._

_"Must be an unholy spawn of a demon. This place is swarming with them."_

_The young demon continued to walk up the path keeping his eyes straight ahead and ignoring the human mercenary's barbs. I do not want Father to know I left the grounds while he was away. These mortals will no doubt recognize me if I tarry. Sesshomaru tried to keep his face as blank as possible and his steps smooth and solid along the path._

_"Wait! Something seems familiar about this kid."_

_One of the bedraggled men approached the young boy. "Demon! What are you doing on this path? An animal like you should be in the forest where you belong!"_

_Sesshomaru kept walking. Arrogant humans, he seethed. He heard the distinctive sound of a sword being unsheathed and he stopped short when the flat of the blade was held out across his chest blocking his path. The boy looked down at the sword with contempt. Why does this mortal stop my progress?_

_"I have no quarrel with you human. Remove yourself from my path."_

_The Samurai lifted the blade to the boy's throat. "I would suggest you learn to curb your tongue, you filthy demon."_

_The child lifted his face slowly to the human and glared at him with his golden eyes. The man was shortly taken aback by the strange color of the demon's eyes, but then he snorted and laughed aloud, spraying his saliva over the boy's face._

_"You're a pretty little boy, aren't you? Men, come here and look at this little girl."_

_The Samurais left their various perches and circled the child demon. They taunted the boy with their swords poking the child with the tips of their blades, laughing as they watched him try to avoid their prodding. The demon child's kimono was saturated with scores of spots where his blood surfaced as a result of the mortals' sport. Sesshomaru kept his face a stoic mask but secretly he had to acknowledge that he felt real fear for the first time in his young life. These men mean to kill me. One of the men grabbed him by his hair and yanked his head back._

_"Hey, I do know this brat!"_

_A man with the foulest breath leaned over the boy, looking him over closely and then a leering grin spread across his face._

_"You're the spawn of that dog demon who dares call himself Lord over these lands! Aren't you?"_

_"What! Do you think the demon's nearby?" The Samurais all gripped their swords tightly looking around the woods as if they were about to be ambushed._

_"Calm down, men!" The man jerked the child's hair again. "Demon, where is your sire?"_

_The boy scratched the man holding his hair with his claws, causing a yelp from the human._

_"I don't need my father to kill you pathetic mortals."_

_"So you're alone, huh. Pretty foolish to be wandering about before your powers mature."_

_He knows, the boy thought paling under the weight of all the humans' stares._

_"What are you seven? Eight? You're too young to defend yourself yet. It's best to kill your kind now before you start breeding litters of unholy beasts."_

_"Hey!"_

_One of the foul miscreants picked a stick up off the ground and waved it in front of the child's face. "He's a dog demon, right? I wonder if he knows any tricks. Do you want the stick? Do you want the stick?" He threw the stick into the woods. "Go fetch, boy!"_

_The humans laughed in robust. Sesshomaru snarled and lunged at the man with his claws slashing across the soldier's face, drawing blood. _

_"You'll pay for that you little brat." _

_The Samurai backhanded the child with a force that almost knocked him off his feet. When the young demon raised his face back towards the mortal, a trickle of blood dripped down from the corner of his mouth. Shame filled the boy. Why am I so weak? The man laughed at the stunned boy and shoved Sesshomaru into the other men's waiting hands. They grabbed his arms and he bucked against their hold trying to break free. An angry growl issued from the young demon as he tried in vain to scratch at the hands that held him, but he could not break free._

_"You're pretty wiry for a powerless demon. I'll teach you to know your place"_

_The man balled his hand into a fist and time seemed to slow to a crawl as Sesshomaru watched the mortal's fist loom closer and closer to his face. At the last second, he turned his head slightly and the mortal's knuckles connected with his cheek. His jawbone cracked under the pressure and he could feel the muscles in his mouth tear. Pain exploded in Sesshomaru's head, but before he could even register the full ferocity of the strike against his young flesh, it was eclipsed by a tumult of blows that showed no sign of ceasing. _

_"You like that, you dirty mutt?"_

_Fists connected with eyes, bruising his flesh._

_"Do you want us to stop, demon?"_

_Feet connected with ribs, cracking his cage. _

_"Do you?"_

_Fists connected with stripes, lacerating his skin._

_"Do you want we should let you go, you filthy animal?"_

_Feet connected with clavicles, shattering the bone._

_"Do you?"_

_He could feel his mind holding onto consciousness by a single thread as they spat on his face and dropped him onto the ground. Blood ran freely over his eyes, blurring his vision so he could not really see their feet as they continued to kick him._

_I am going to die._

_A sword sliced through his kimono, slashing his midsection. Instinctively, his hands clutched his abdomen trying to stop the bleeding._

_Father, my blood is leaving me, Sesshomaru's mind cried out weakly. I do not want to die in shame. The child's sight started to fade to pitch._

_His body pulsed._

_The young demon was kneeling in the void, trying to see through emptiness. He could sense that he was not alone, even though he could not hear or see a thing. "Who is here?" the child whispered. Somewhere in the darkness, he saw the image of his father standing before him telling him it was time. _

_Pulse. _

_The boy tried to run towards his parent, but with each step, he seemed to get further and further away. When he could not run any further, he fell to his knees. Time for what, Father? He screamed out. _

_Pulse. _

_The Demon Lord turned and faced his son with a satisfied smile. It is time. His father transformed to his true form. Sesshomaru stood shakily to his feet and realized his head did not even reach halfway on his father's massive paw. The Great Inu lanced the young demon with his ruby gaze and threw back his head. _

_Pulse. _

_The howl was deafening and the child covered his ears. The reverberation of the discordant crescendo vibrated his entire being and his body surged with molten heat. _

_Pulse. _

_A tingling began in his limbs growing in intensity, churning into great waves that crashed straight into his core. There it amassed into a fiery sphere of energy in the pit of his stomach. _

_Pulse. _

_The demon blood that flowed through his veins had awoken. _

_Pulse. _

_His fingertips burned as if they were on fire and with no known reason as to why he jutted his hand into the air. The mass of energy flowed from his center, down his arm and into his fingertips. The raw power exploded from his fingertips. A few seconds passed and he felt a rainstorm of acrid smelling liquid fall upon his body. _

_Sesshomaru's last memories were the sounds of screaming._

_Xxxxxxx_

A small shaking hand rose up to cover her gaping mouth as the tears flowed freely down her face. Rin slowly sat down on the mattress in horror at what she had heard. Sesshomaru did not want to look upon her face. He did not want to see pity in her eyes, not from her. She bore all the outside signs of grief that he had never once expressed over that day. A demon never forgets the day their powers awaken, and therefore he was always haunted by his weakness that day. _Do you understand now, my mate? No one came to save me that day, how could I not save you?_

"That's why you asked what happened to me that day? Is it not, my Lord?"

Rin's voice was brimming with lamentation and it was in contrariety to the insentient hollow within him. _We were never meant to be kindred in these matters, Rin. Why must we share more than this?_ Sesshomaru almost wanted to laugh at the irony that was his life. Every vow he ever made was now broken. Everything he knew about himself to be true, lost. Now, she would ask for more of his guarded past to be revealed.

Xxxxxxx

_No one had inquired with him as to what had happened. When he awoke to find himself lying immobile in his chamber suite, there was no one there keeping a visual over him. The servants would come sporadically throughout the day cleanse his body and leave. His parent had not visited his chamber once._

_The young demon had no knowledge as to how he survived or who had found him. When he regained his mobility and the only evidence of his encounter were the dark patches under his pale skin, his father summoned him to his study._

_"You disobeyed me and left the grounds."_

_It was not a question, and Sesshomaru could not lie to his sire._

_"Yes, Father."_

_The Great Dog Demon turned away from facing the back wall of the study and faced his battered son._

_"Where did you get those bruises?"_

_There was something in his father's voice that prevented the child to speak. He stood there in silence, the answer caught in the back of his throat. His father's question did not hold any concern, but rather he sensed contempt and disappoint. I have shamed him, the young demon brooded. I failed in my first battle and have disgraced his name._

_The Demon Lord fed up with his child's silence came to stand in front of the young demon and gripped his chin forcing him to look up at him._

_"You will tell me!"_

_The young demon's eyes widened but still no answer was forthcoming._

_His father dropped his hand from his face and went back to his desk. Sesshomaru could feel his parent's disgust and the seed of hatred planted itself within his heart. I detest the shame those mortals placed upon me. I will never forgive them or their kind. They will never defeat me again._

_"The servants advised me that when they found you, your clothes had been destroyed by the venom in your toxic claws. Now that your powers have finally awoken, you will begin your training."_

_"Yes, Father."_

_His father bore his eyes into his son and spoke in a voice that was half growl. "If you ever disobey a direct order from me again, it will be my fist you feel, my son."_

_The child did not answer, but quietly turned and left._

_Xxxxxxx_

Sesshomaru released the windowsill and let his hand fall to his side. _It was all in the past._ Written and unchangeable, yet all of it left a void within him. Her hand grasped his and gradually brought it to her face palm up. Leaning forward she gently kissed the center of his palm and laid her cheek against his hand. He pondered over his mate, looking into her eyes and trying to discern the intent behind her actions. There was no pity, disappointment or shame. Instead, he felt something else, something more solacing that he did not know how to define.

Lightly rubbing the pad of his thumb over her damp cheek, he came to a conclusion.

"I will honor whatever choice you make."

Rin's eyes widened.

_I just cannot hear your answer right now._

Removing his hand, he quietly left the room.

Sesshomaru hoped that her decision would not make his statement false.

_

* * *

_

_Chapter 15...will the Sakura blossoms continue to bloom or will they fall from an early winter...only your longing will make me tell..._


	15. Chapter 15

_**The moments between the "x's" are flashbacks.**_

_**I hope you enjoy. Thank you for reading this and double thanks for your reviews. -Druidica**_

_**P.S - Sorry for the delay, life sometimes sees fit to rear its ugly head. Triple thanks for you patience.**_

_**P.S.S - This story does have an "M" rating. Let the reader beware.**_

* * *

Stillness. 

Complete placidity. No thoughts and no emotions. A blank parchment inside his mind waiting to be filled, but the quill was dry and the ink long since run out. In this moment, he was only a receptacle to receive and process what his senses took in from around him. There were no more great plans. The path he thought he walked upon was now shrouded with an impenetrable darkness, and he held no certainty on whether he wanted the fog to be lifted. He had walked away from knowing his immediate fate, avoiding the permanence of her answer in the hopes it would buy him time to resolve a question he no longer knew the answer to.

Liquid amber eyes stared out across the horizon, a mirror to the landscape before him without letting the images to imbrue within his mind. He observed in silence as the fading light of the sun was gradually consumed by billowing clouds churning in the sky. They folded and rolled across the cobalt and crimson canvas in a dark tempestuous fury. Nature was seeing fit to make its presence known, growling at the land below in warning and cracking the atmosphere with its bright jagged whip. The bittersweet smell of a moisture kissed terra firma rose up from the ground, and he closed his eyes to inhale the scent. . He listened as every sane creature scurried across the fields and nearby woods to seek out shelter from the torrent that loomed near, but the demon could not be moved.

The storm did not see fit to give any additional warning, but instead poured its deluge onto the earth in a merciless cascade of bitterly cold rain. The heavy mass of his pale mane lay plastered against his skull and body as his kimono and hakama were saturated through, clinging to his frame like a second skin. The demon slowly opened his eyes and stared through the wet locks that streaked across his vision.

Xxxxxxxx

_The imp lay sleeping against Ah-Un, his nasally snuffles reverberating along the back shell of the cave. The twin-head dragon occasionally shuffled the green demon when he became too loud and the small creature would grumble and turn onto his side, but would never really wake. Sesshomaru was amazed how some creatures could sleep through anything despite the roaring of the gale outside. The only one of his companions that shared his sentiments was the young girl sitting huddled under her small blanket with only her eyes peeking out._

_Every time the thunder rattled the inside of the cave, the child would cover her eyes and shudder in fear. The smell of her terror rankled his senses even as the rain blanketed all other scents. Sesshomaru feared little if anything in this world, and it did not sit well with him that his ward seemed to have lost faith in his ability to protect her. When the sky cracked with a booming cannonade, Rin yelped and scooted closer to his side, shivering._

_The demon casually reached out with his hand and uncovered the child's head showing a slightly mussed mop of hair with some of her bangs standing on end from the electricity. The girl was intent on keeping her eyes tightly shut especially since she did not have the protection of the blanket whose magical properties of warding away all harm were known only by children. _

_"Rin?"_

_"Yes, my Lord?" the child piped into her close-fisted hands._

_"Have I not always protected you?"_

_His voice was flat and even, yet the child perked up under his question and her eyes widened in surprise._

_"Always, Lord Sesshomaru!"_

_With a single clawed finger, he tilted the girl's head to meet his gaze directly. "Then why would you fear a little rain and thunder when I am here."_

_Rin mulled over her master's words, then slowly smiled up at him. Certain that her fears had been laid to rest, he turned his gaze back out to the storm. Nature decided to voice its anger and a thunderous growl erupted from the sky and shook the ground. With another yelp, the young child shot up from where she was sitting and jumped into the demon's lap with her blanket still tightly wrapped around her._

_There were only a handful of moments that Sesshomaru could remember being completely shocked and most of them all contained the name Rin somewhere in the equation. On many levels, this single action left him confused to silence. Being one of the most feared demons of his time, it was strange that anyone would be so bold as to sit on his lap, but the other aspect, was that the child feared a small storm more than the one whose name meant "the killing perfection." _

_It would have been easy for him to shove her back to the floor and halt this lewd display of affection, but even as his mind contemplated the simplicity of removing himself from the situation, his hand had already resettled her form so that her back rested against his chest. Resigned in his fate, he wrapped his arm around the shivering bundle. As the moments ticked by, the child faded off into a contented slumber with her ear over his heart. It was clear to the Demon Lord that the child held no doubts in her Lord's ability to safeguard her life, but apparently when it came to boisterous storms, his protection had to be worn like a blanket. Shifting his gaze to the sleeping girl in his lap, he blew her flyaway hairs to the side and rested his chin lightly on the crown of her head._

_I will chastise her actions tomorrow, he mused. Tonight I will let her sleep._

_xxxxxxx_

Rin.

The name echoed across his mind in an almost tangible fantasy and he was amazed how such a small word could amount to so much. He shifted his gaze to the manor house and saw that a single light flickered from his suite. The house had never beckoned him from his travels to return to his inherited lands. He had always returned with a specific purpose in mind, and it was without fail that within half a day he would be ready to leave again. Therefore, he could not understand why he did not feel that restlessness this time.

The light emanating from his chamber called out like a siren and stirred a deep longing in the center of his being. Sesshomaru did not at first register that his legs were moving steadily forward towards the manor, but with each step closer, the longing grew. In moments, he was in front of the panel door to his chambers and he could hear the gentle sound of her humming beyond the screen. A small smile lifted the corners of his mouth as once again she had summoned him from the darkness to her side with her quiet song. Erasing all signs of the emotion from his face, he slid open the panel and stepped into the room.

Closing the screen, Rin stopped humming and stood silently with her back to him. Her hair had long since dried and hung in a wavy dark waterfall down her back, the flickering candles casting a soft glow to her silk wrapped body. His mouth went dry with want for the beautiful creature before him. He swallowed seeking moisture but he found that he still thirsted for something more.

"Rin."

It was the only word he could form, and it in it was a wealth of unspoken affirmations. Silently, she turned and faced her Lord. Her smile wavered when she took in his drenched state. Gasping, she went to the wardrobe, pulled out a cloth and quickly went to her Lord.

"My Lord, we must get you dry. The air is freezing."

The Demon Lord said nothing but watched her with a heavy lidded gaze as she pressed the cloth against his chest trying to sop up the excess moisture from his drenched kimono. Her eyes were focused on her task and only occasionally shifted up to look at his face. Sesshomaru stared openly at his mate, taking in every nuance of her fair skin, the shape and curvature of her almond eyes that were encased in dark sable lashes, the pink blush that suffused her cheeks as she came closer to him. His eyes fell to her soft lips and a hunger gripped his insides.

Lifting his hand to her face, he brushed back a stray lock of her hair behind her ear, tracing the outside edge with his claw careful not to mar her delicate skin. Rin froze in her ministrations for a moment, her eyes becoming slightly hazy at the contact. He sensed no fear from her or confusion. Instead, her sweet scent spiked with budding arousal and he inhaled deeply, letting it saturate his senses. Rin tilted her head up to her Lord and in response; he lowered his slightly towards her. Only a scant space remained between them, their mingled breaths a raspy plea of yearning. The need to taste her was swelling within him, but his desire to cherish what was to happen outweighed his body's growing hunger.

Tugging on the tie of his obi, Sesshomaru let the sash fall to the floor. He peeled back the material off his left shoulder and shrugged off the wet fabric, tossing it into the corner forgotten. He could feel her body's warmth in contrast to his cool damp skin and he knew he would relish when her heat would be pressed against his flesh. Rin's gaze lowered and she scanned his muscled torso. The demon could hear her heartbeat escalating in tempo and the smell of his blood taking over inside her. She dropped the cloth to the side and brought her hands up to his chest.

The moment her flesh touched his, he was lost. There were no other thoughts to be had except to revel in her touch and to pray to whatever powers that be that she did not stop. Her fingers scorched his skin as she traced his collarbone from the shoulders in before skimming down the plane of his chest and letting her nails scrape over his chiseled abdomen. His muscles contracted under her touch and a knowing smile lifted the corners of her mouth.

A drop of water fell from one of his tendrils and dripped onto his chest. The cold sensation was an unwelcome annoyance to the heat he wanted to feel, but his mate saw the tiny bead as an opportunity. Rin leaned forward and captured the runaway drop with her tongue then continued to trace the path it laid up his chest. When she reached the end of the trail just below his clavicle, she nipped his flesh with her fangs. The breath he sucked in almost sounded like a hiss and his hand shot up to the back of her head and gripped her silky mass of hair in a tight fist.

Rin shifted her gaze back to her Lord's intent stare. Sesshomaru lifted her face and brought her mouth close to his. Slowly he licked the outside edge of her lower lip coaxing her to let him enter. Her sigh wafted over his lips and he slanted his mouth over hers, languidly caressing her mouth his tongue. He reveled in her flavor and his mate responded in kind, her hands clutching his shoulders as she met him stroke for stroke. For the first time in his life, the Demon Lord was starving and the only sustenance that could satisfy his hunger was the woman before him.

With a low growl, Sesshomaru bent his legs and lifted Rin over his shoulder. The woman yelped but then giggled against her Lord's back as he walked the short distance to his bed and deposited her in the center of the feather mattress. That last time his senses had been befuddled, but this time he was fully aware of his actions. For him, this would be his true first joining with his mate.

Sesshomaru lithely untied the knot that held his hakama, removing the clinging fabric from his legs and kicking it aside. For a moment, he stood in full naked glory in front of his mate, his arousal an obvious protrusion from his body. Rin gazed at him openly, her eyes heavy with desire. Sitting up, she shimmied to the edge of the mattress her head in perfect alignment with his body. He was tempted to stop her from reaching the prey he knew she hunted, but his body was not about to heed his mind.

Rin leaned forward to the side of his manhood, kissed his stomach to the side of his navel, and proceeded to mark his flesh with her mouth, sucking on his skin and applying random nips with her teeth. His breath was becoming slightly erratic and his hand stroked her hair even as his insides clenched and his demon blood boiled in his veins. Satisfied with her work she rubbed the soft skin of her cheek against the velvety steel flesh of his arousal before tracing the magenta markings along his shaft with her moist lips. His grip tightened on her hair and a low growl was emanating from his chest. Rin smiled against his member, brought the tip of his manhood into her mouth, and licked the dewy liquid from his slit.

"Minx," he hissed between clenched teeth. He pulled her tempting mouth from his tumescent flesh and motioned her to lean back on the bed as he lithely climbed on beside her. Still fully clothed in her robe, Rin brought her hands to the ties of her obi, but Sesshomaru stayed her actions with his hand. While leaning on his arm, he nuzzled the side of her neck leaving soft kisses along her pulse point that had her shivering from the intimate contact. Slowly moving lower, the demon passed his lips down the silk fabric to the swell of her breast that was heaving slightly from Rin's ragged breathing. His wet hair had dampened the fabric and her turgid nipple protruded through the thin material. Sesshomaru's hot breath wafted over the nip and Rin gasped. He licked the cloth-covered tip and drew it into his mouth suckling her with slow deliberation. She arched against his mouth, her legs shifting restlessly wanting more.

With each tug of his lips, the scent of her arousal became headier and his blood burned to cease his slow seduction and ravage her, but he would not give in yet...

* * *

**_Chapter 16...fullfillment will come...but only if you yearn...nay...ache... for release..._**


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